Mental health

The leadership of three of construction’s biggest charities is changing as two industry stalwarts announce their retirement. Lighthouse chief executive Bill Hill will retire at the end of this week, after more than a decade at the helm of the wellbeing support charity. CRASH boss Francesca Roberts, in charge since…

A council has announced it will consider the mental health policies of construction companies during procurement, in a bid to tackle the industry’s high suicide rate. Halton Borough Council, near Liverpool, will now require main contractors to outline in their bids for jobs how they will look after the mental…

The industry’s high suicide rate is prompting calls for mental health to be written into construction deals While working as a quantity surveyor, Marc Preston once witnessed a fire that caused millions of pounds of damage. Yet it was not the sight of the dramatic blaze that stuck with him…

Simon Harris is senior director of operations for recruitment firm Randstad’s construction and property team in the UK Construction employees who suffer work-related stress may sue their employers for disability discrimination – even if they have not been diagnosed with a mental illness by a doctor. That’s what a recent…

More than four in five specialists say that late payments from main contractors have impacted their mental health, according to Construction News’ payment survey. The figure is revealed today in the the results of a major survey by CN of construction subcontractors’ experiences of retentions and payment practices. The survey,…

More than 50 per cent of construction workers say they have struggled with their mental health, according to software provider Causeway Technologies. The survey was carried out by Causeway’s mental health ambassador, former England footballer Trevor Steven. Steven spoke to more than 1,400 workers over 18 months at construction sites…

Sarah Baldry is vice-president of people and marketing at artificial intelligence-based healthcare service Wysa The construction sector has some of the worst rates of mental health among business sectors in the UK, with men in the industry three times more likely to die from suicide than the average male. Yet,…

Danny Clarke is commercial director of the National Federation of Builders In a world where equality, diversity and inclusion have become central themes in discussions around the modern workplace, one facet often remains unexplored to the degree it should – neurodiversity. This vital aspect of human diversity, encompassing conditions such…

A quarter of construction workers consider themselves to be neurodiverse, according to a report by the National Federation of Builders (NFB). The figure is higher than that of the general public, among whom one in seven is estimated to have a neurodiverse condition. Neurodiversity refers to different thinking styles that…

Construction industry charity Lighthouse Club lost £217,000 last year on an investment portfolio of £1.75m, although it said its position has since recovered significantly. The Ipswich-based charity tackles mental health in the construction industry, providing administrative, financial and emotional support to struggling workers and affected families. It operates a helpline,…