Did you know?

Is your job stressful?

For many in the construction industry, the answer is yes. Often construction work does not go as planned – materials are delivered late or arrive damaged, bad weather delays projects and change orders push timelines back further. And when projects fall behind, construction workers bear the brunt of that stress.

Owners want contractors to deliver projects on time and under budget. After all, delays cost money. Contractors regularly use subcontractors, who are given tight deadlines to meet to ensure the contractor completes the job on time. The usual result is unrealistic expectations creating unrealistic work schedules, which increases the pressure workers feel to move faster and ultimately may lead to injury.

Supervisors, who are responsible for making sure projects get done and also for ensuring the safety of their crews, are often under the most pressure – they are caught in the middle and pulled in both directions.

To get back on schedule, workers are often asked to put in overtime. Though a welcome source of additional income, this time away from family (e.g., up to six 10-hour days) can also bring additional emotional stressors. Working long hours can lead to health problems and an increased risk for accidents due to fatigue. Increased overtime may also lead to more night work, which brings a whole new set of stressors (e.g., disruptions to family life and the body’s circadian rhythms). When time is stretched thin, safety inevitably suffers, along with worker health (both mental and physical).

Another major stressor for construction workers is job security. Not knowing when or where your next job will be or how long it will last can make life difficult to plan and bring all sorts of stress (financial and others) on workers and their families. When job demands increase and bring along a lack of control over your work and schedule, stress is usually the result.

Acknowledge Stress Exists

Taking positive action can help to create a more engaged workforce, boost productivity and save money.

This toolkit is aimed at small businesses with a regular workforce (employed and contracted) who want to start looking at this issue. It will also help site managers wanting to identify project-specific issues.

There are six main themes linked to work-related stress. By starting simple and practical conversations in these areas, you will be taking steps to reduce pressure, manage potential stressors and limit the negative impact work might be having on staff. The toolkit outlines how workers should feel in relation to these themes and provides a series of questions to help explore what the issue might be where this is not the case.

The toolkit is designed to be used flexibly. There is no set format for these conversations nor how they should be conducted.

Unsure about where to start with a Stress Risk Assessment? Worry not, we can support you through the process step by step, giving you the tools that you need. 

Employee Wellbeing and COVID-19 Support – Craven HR Services (cravensafetyservices.co.uk)