BTG Goes MAD In London

The Mad World Festival – In Partnership with Mates in Mind, 17th October 2024. Venue, 133 Houndsditch, London.

The inaugural ‘Construction Summit’ was held as part of the Mad World Festival of Workplace Culture, which covers the Legal, DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) and now the Construction Sector, with additional Leaders’ Summit, Roundtables and ‘Heads Together’ hub. The focus of all Summit, across all the sectors, was Mental Health in the Workplace.

All sounds a bit highbrow, doesn’t it?

I was sceptical about the noise that would be made and whether it was had any meaning or depth to it. I went into the day (openly declaring myself as a representative of the self-employed trades, who rarely get into events like this one, and feeling like a bit of an imposter) assuming that it wouldn’t really be relevant, that it would be just words and empty gestures and would miss the point of what trades really need.

But is that how I left?

I was interested to see what Tier 1 contractors and decision-making organisations within our industry thought were the challenges for changing the outcomes regarding mental health in construction. With representatives from the likes of Balfour Beatty, Sir Robert McAlpine, Mott MacDonald, Mace, ADT, CITB, BSI, The Crown Estate, The British Safety Council, the Department for Business and Trade, leading figures in research into mental health and wellbeing as well as many others, it was a good opportunity to see for myself how genuinely this was seen as a problem worth dealing with. As well as what solutions might be available to achieve a real change. Was it all just words and ticking boxes? Or are there enough people somewhere in the chain who actually care about the outcomes? And if so, when will it trickle down to the level of the self-employed on site?

I have to be honest; my feelings of scepticism were soon being challenged.

Anne Hayes, Director of Sectors and Standards Development, from the BSI was very clear during the first Panel, entitled “Where are we now and what needs to change?” that real change can be afforded like it has been for menopausal women in the workplace with the development and implementation of BS30416 – Menstruation, Menstrual Health and Menopause in the Workplace. There is work being done on a similar standard for suicide prevention, and there has been involvement with all aspects of the industry to develop this. That was the key point for me, that people from all levels of the supply chain are being consulted with. And if the way to push change is through the BSI Accreditation system, then it works for me.

The panel discussed, at length, the importance of using the right words, in plain English, to avoid the overuse of language and bluster that happens so often at a corporate level. There seemed to be a real requirement for change in the language that would remove so many barriers and foster a proper involvement with all levels of site workers.

There was discussion about how the implementation of MHFA’s is great, but that companies need to make sure they have the structure in place not only to support these people, but to make sure there are regular conversations to pick up any site workers who have sought out support from the MHFA and make sure they get the help they need. The emphasis was on senior staff to make sure they follow this through. MHFA are great, but they need to be properly supported by their managers, with regular check-ins to make sure that any potential issues with workers as well as themselves, are properly identified and given proper consideration. Otherwise the MHFA on site is just another box ticked.

During the “Case Studies – How to Support Mental Wellbeing Across Supply Chains” several points were raised about the importance of a legal requirement for mental health risk, that if the mental health of workers on site was treated in the same way as H&S then we wouldn’t see the suicide rates in construction that we currently do. The point that really spoke to me, was one about leaving ego at the door. So many channels have sprung up on the topic on mental health, all with their own agendas and ‘banging their own drum’ that the message is being lost – we should all be working as a collective for the greater good of the whole community.

Is it all just about cost?

The financial implications of mental health on specific projects and on business in general was discussed. The idea of mental health being a commercial risk, and approached as an investment with the ability to save money in the long run by implementing good mental health practices across the board, rather than as a cost once everything goes wrong for someone and there is only a reactive approach left was echoed by panel members and audience participants alike. It felt like a pivotal moment, as we all know, everyone wants the best value on a project, so re-framing the idea of cost as an investment in the labour force is a big step forward.

So, was there a balance?

For me, the biggest disappointment was that wasn’t a single representative who is currently working as a trade on site. Lots of construction leaders (yes that was the point of the day, but surely some people from every section of the construction community would have provided a wider perspective). It would certainly have brought a different slant to the day to hear from people who actually work away from home in crappy digs, or struggle with 90 day payment terms and how that can affect their lives. We all know the value of hearing a lived experience, rather than just anecdotal. Let’s face it, with 783,000 self-employed and 882,770 SME’s (Statista, 2023) within the construction industry, surely there could have been some at the event to even out the spread a little bit. Especially when on my walk to the venue I passed so many cafés and greasy spoons full of guys in their hard hats and high vis re-fuelling for their day on site – I just thought it would’ve been so easy to get a couple of these guys in that could hold their own in a room full of HS&W people! If we want to see change, then the people at the top need to be prepared to be part of difficult conversations and listen to the workers who are being affected by all of this. Which means that we need to be prepared to tell them whenever they afford the opportunity.

During the panel “The Importance of Supporting Future Workforce Mental Wellbeing” there was a huge opportunity missed, with the only apprentice on the panel being a young QS (from a reinforced concrete frame contractor) who talked very well about what life was like for him as a new learner on site, but the inclusion of an apprentice or two from the trades could have really highlighted so many of the varied problems for young starters on site and provided a bit of balance to the day.

What were my takeaways from the day?

In all fairness, and at odds with my initial feelings walking through London to get to the event, I actually felt that the day was an incredibly positive one. Industry leaders on the panels who recognised that just raising awareness is no longer enough. That real change has to come not from how we tackle mental health, but from how we do business. Until we look at the processes inherent within the construction industry, and it’s supply chains, all the awareness in the world won’t make any difference.

There are people at the decision making end talking to trades who are affected by the struggles of being self-employed day to day, conducting research, writing standards, and using events like this one to educate more people on the impact that large company policies can have on the SME/self-employed contractors they deal with.

Play your part!

It’s clear we needs a stronger relationship between the decision makers and the people who are struggling, the workers that are contributing to the statistics, the ones who have mates, colleagues, family members who make up the 2 people a day that commit suicide, the 33% who have, at some point been diagnosed with a mental health condition, the 3 out of 5 employees who experience mental health issues because of work (even higher if you look at the self-employed too).

That’s where you can help, by engaging, by suggesting, by telling us at BTG what you think needs to change. So that we can get that message across and help get our voices heard.

For any support, suggestions or comments, you can continue the discussion on this post below 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼, email us at [email protected] or tell us what you think over on Facebook – Builders’ Talk Group