Contractor Kier is set to trial a new joint code of practice designed to tackle the root causes of mental health struggles in the construction industry.
The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) on Monday (15 June) unveiled its Joint Code of Practice (JCOP) on mental health in the industry, following a sector-wide consultation that received 3,000 responses.
Kier will trial the JCOP on two major London sites it is working on with its client, the Crown Estate, including a £52m retail build at 33 Piccadilly.
The JCOP is about preventing mental ill health from getting worse, Karl Whiteman, the CLC’s industry sponsor for health, safety and wellbeing, told Construction News.
The code identifies five factors in relation to mental health: working patterns, operational demands, financial issues, barriers to mental health support, and people factors and the work environment.
“We’re encouraging industry leaders to support the principles of the JCOP, use the guidance where appropriate in their organisations, but first and foremost, we’re encouraging them to go away and have that conversation within their organisations,” Whiteman said.
Mental ill health, the CLC said in a statement, is “to a significant extent shaped upstream by how work is commissioned, designed, procured, planned, sequenced and led”.
The JCOP notes that payment issues, job insecurity, low financial literacy and disputed payments are “a major source of ongoing financial strain” in the industry. It says enforceable payment terms, prompt payment and notice periods would improve the situation.
It recommends free financial literacy support for individuals and businesses.
Working patterns are also causing severe mental health difficulties, particularly around long hours, shift patterns, long-distance travel, work away from home and a lack of flexible working.
It says contractors should “challenge the norm of prioritising productivity over wellbeing”, and that clear schedule planning, as well as setting limits on the amount of work and travel required, would improve the situation.
The JCOP recommends using local labour where possible to reduce commutes. Where workers are required to travel, contractors and clients should engage with local authorities to allow earlier start or later finish times for those facing long distances or parenting responsibilities.
The code also points to unachievable deadlines, as well as poor planning and communication, which it says has led to overly high operational demands.
It calls for an independent review of programme viability to ensure projects can be completed without a “heroic effort or unsafe demands”, and says designs should be well-developed before work deadlines are agreed.
The JCOP further flags barriers to mental health support, including low mental health literacy and a stigma around it. Businesses of all sizes should have “qualified, clearly signposted wellbeing support”, the JCOP urges, and it recommends mental health awareness training.
Finally, it says the sector suffers from limited praise and support; bullying and harassment; and poor-quality welfare facilities. In particular, the sector must develop “trusted routes” for reporting bullying and harassment, while business leaders should “model compassionate behaviours” while at work.
CLC co-chair and government minister for industry Chris McDonald said “far too many people” are being lost to suicide in construction, adding that the code is about facing up to that reality and taking action early.
“As we build the homes and infrastructure our country needs, we must also look after the people making that possible,” he added.