What keeps people awake at night? There are many things that keep them awake. Some are awake due to stress and worry. Others are awake due to some joyful things. But construction workers are the ones that are having insomnia and that is a negative sign.
Those who are working in the construction industry know why workers are awake. It means many different things. The reasons depend on the role of the professionals in the industry and the factors are as under:
- Lack of skilled workforce needed to do the work.
- Managing supply chain problems.
- Rising costs.
- Dip in profits.
- Productivity is lacking in both the industry and in the workforce.
- Long working hours.
- Work is not complete in a timely fashion.
- The lack of a diverse workforce impacts the ability to get tenders for work.
- An engaged workforce is not present on construction sites.
- Employees having issues in their mental, physical, and social health (can be due to the above factors).
All of these challenges are known to cause stress. They can contribute to employees getting burned out and hence the reason why they may not perform so well at work. For those who do not know, burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion due to excessive and prolonged stress.
In what ways are these factors being addressed?
Are construction companies address these factors that keep the workforce awake at night? What are the team leads, managers and top executives doing to ensure the workplace is psychologically safe? Have they done enough to address any potential psychosocial hazards existing in the workplace? Are individual employees given the needed resources, social support, and tools to thrive in such cases?
These are questions whose answers are usually hard to answer. Construction claims may or may not cover these issues. But they can construction companies some serious headaches.
In Australia, the Civil Contractors Federation (CCF) in Victoria is battling some of these issues via the Pathways and Cultural Preparedness program. It was set up to attract females in apprenticeship roles (as women apprentices make less than 2% of the construction workforce in the Australian state of Victoria).
The program includes numerous construction certifications and training. Among them are four-day workshops on the culture and stresses part of the industry. It even provides employees with the tools to combat challenges in the industry.
As part of the program, employers are also provided the chance to participate in one-day workshops facilitated by CCF. They provide tools to help employees and workers combat burnout and stress. It also covers topics including psychosocial hazards and also helps in
- Helping create a psychologically safe culture.
- Creating a more engaged workforce.
- Creating trust in teams.
- Effective communication.
- Tools to improve a person’s well-being based on the latest medical, neuroscience, and scientific research findings.
It should be understood that doing nothing about the stress can potentially create a downward spiral. A self-care plan is needed. Construction companies need to have an organization-wide team culture management plan, and a workforce wellness plan in place too.
Men’s Health Week was last month
From June 10 to June 16 each month, Men’s Health Week is celebrated. Those who work in the industry know that men are six times more likely to die due to suicide in comparison to an incident at work. Men their their lives each other day in the construction industry. The facts are disheartening, sad, and sobering.
The construction industry has a lot of stress in it. This causes more burnout and more challenges for it as a whole. Hence it is time to shine some light on it.
Mental Health challenges
Research indicates that 43% of males have encountered challenges to their mental health many times in their lifetime. More research from Quantum experts shows that workers find it difficult to discuss feelings and emotions with colleagues at work. The nature of the work has also made social support quite difficult.
One of the issues identified as an issue is Pride. Male workers have been told as a societal norm (and even taught) that showing emotions is not a man’s job. However, research shows not understanding emotions and ignoring or suppressing them prolongs more health risks. This also highlights the importance of making a psychologically safe workplace culture.
Other health issues
Here are the top chronic diseases affecting men:
- Arthritis.
- Asthma.
- Back issues.
- Cancer.
- Chronic pulmonary disease.
- Diabetes.
- Heart, and other cardiovascular diseases.
- Stroke.
- Chronic Kidney Disease.
- Osteoporosis.
- Mental Health issues.
Cancer and heart disease affect men a lot. Both somehow do have high rates of prevention if caught and diagnosed on time. This indicates addressing the issue when something does not feel right. The bottom line is that workers need to speak up and reach out if they are facing problems. Normalize its okay not to be okay and support is needed to ensure everyone is alright.
