< PreviousWritten by Margaret Patricia Eaton Increasingly, the construction industry is embracing total human health, focusing on mind, body, and spirit when addressing wellness—but it hasn’t always been this way. up their words with robust safety programs and strict protocols for reviewing safety procedures at the start of each day, all successful measures in preventing injury. But physical safety, while critical to any construction project, cannot be the only component of a company’s wellness strategy. “ Safety is our number one concern; we want everyone to go home in the same condition in which they arrived; safety is a way of life here.” These sentiments are fre- quently shared by construction industry leaders, and there’s no doubting their sincerity: they back 11 CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS A high-risk industry By overlooking mental health concerns such as depression, work-related stress, and anxiety, the industry has sidestepped what may be one of the reasons it has difficulty attracting and retaining skilled trades. These issues may also explain why workers are not always as productive as their managers would like, as they strive to complete projects on budget and on time while white knuckling their way through. Most troubling, issues of “mental” wellness may explain why suicide rates within construction rank so high against compa- rable occupations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the construction industry, which for statistical purposes includes oil and gas and mining extraction industries, has the second highest rate of suicide in the U.S. at 53.3 per 100,000 workers, second only to the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector. Notably, these industries share some similarities, in that the workforces of all are male-dominated and the work is physi- cally demanding and often performed in isolation. To put it in context, the suicide rate for construction workers is over four times higher than the national suicide average and five times higher than all construction deaths combined, a clear indication that, although physical safety programs are working, the industry is plagued by serious mental health issues. The reasons for these statistics are complex. First, there’s the nature of the work: high-risk, demanding, deadline-driven, and sometimes isolating—frequently in remote locations, away from family and friend networks. Then there’s the composition of the workforce, which is still dominated by men, who statistically have always faced a higher risk for suicide than women. Data released by the CDC in 2015 indicates that, within the industry, male suicide rates (49.4 per 100,000 workers) are twice as high as female suicide rates (25.5 per 100,000 workers). Both rates are alarmingly high. Higher male suicide rates in the general population have long been attributed in part to a culture which reinforces and rewards stoicism and strength in young males and admon- ishes that “boys don’t cry” while equating seeking help for emotional issues with a sign of weakness. Those ideas may be even more prevalent in the construction industry, where being “a tough guy who can handle it,” is the perceived norm and where women, to be accepted, have to fit into that culture. Exacerbating the problem is that a percentage of the work- force is composed of armed forces veterans who may have untreated PTSD. Another issue is that a percentage of workers, perhaps after suffering work-related injuries, are dependent on pain-relieving medications, resulting in substance abuse and its consequences. Added to those concerns is the organization of the industry itself, which is split between salaried, full-time office employ- ees and hourly field employees who are often affiliated with labour unions. This can create a disconnect when the industry attempts to effect change across the culture and move toward one that is concerned about the totality of its workers’ health from a holistic viewpoint. Totality of health Of course, this is something that other industries—the finan- cial, retail, and manufacturing sectors for example—have been doing since the 1980s when the wellness movement first gained traction. Apart from being the right thing to do from an ethical stand- point, caring for employees’ health and well-being also makes sound economic sense as these industries have discovered for themselves, evidenced in numerous reports and studies which reveal a positive correlation between employee well-being, employee productivity, and company performance. The Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) took a leadership position on these issues as early as 2014, pub- lishing “Mental Illness and Suicide: Break the Silence & Create a Caring Culture,” which explored topics of mental health aware- ness, opioid and addiction recovery, and suicide prevention. Other professional organizations have since followed CFMA’s lead, while CFMA continues to address these topics. In an Oct 2020 article, “Mental Health & Well-being in the Construction Workplace” in CFMA Building Profits Magazine, Cal Beyer argues that “a contractor’s most important resource, and one of its leading costs, is its employees. By actively invest- ing in employee, supervisory, and leadership development programs, CFMs can expect a positive ROI and other measur- able outcomes in both their risk management and human capital investments. This intentional strategy combines organi- zational development practices to leverage human capital risk management and protect a company’s bottom line.” It appears, however, that company managers, labour unions, and even trade training programs have been slow to catch up. In 2021, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Foundation’s Center for Workplace Mental Health conducted a 20-question survey on mental health in the construction industry and reported data from 1,175 respondents across the U.S. It con- cluded that “the results suggest that concern for mental health is high, but willingness to discuss mental health at work is low.” Some key findings were that 93 percent of all survey respon- dents (presidents, CEOs, and owners) recognize that address- ing mental health is a sound business practice, with 77 percent saying it was prioritized at work. However, when asked if workers were likely to access mental health care, only 26 percent indi- cated they believed workers would, whereas nearly half did not know and nearly a third said workers were unlikely to do so. The same low numbers apply to whether workers would discuss issues with supervisors or colleagues, with only 17 percent saying they would discuss them with a supervisor and 18 percent with a colleague. This is in sharp contrast to a similar public poll conducted by APA the same year, which indicated that nearly 56 percent of workers in other sectors would be comfortable discussing mental health issues with their supervisors or colleagues. The report also offers the top four reasons why construction industry workers, according to those polled, were reticent about seeking help: shame and stigma (78 percent); fear of judgement by peers (77 percent); fear of negative conse- quences (55 percent); and not knowing how or where to access care (46 percent). The report concludes: “As the construction industry works to improve health and safety, including mental health and well- being, this report sheds light on important areas to focus on to overcome challenges in the workforce.” 13 CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Developing a framework The report suggests a framework for wellness begins when an organization “institutes a collective mindset for well-being as part of a respectful workplace committed to equity and social justice, which accepts mental health as a diversity and inclusion opportunity.” It’s vitally important, they say, for senior leadership to com- municate with empathy and “build a caring culture that embraces well-being by incorporating mental health aware- ness, substance use and addiction recovery, and suicide pre- vention into safety, health, wellness, employee benefits, and employee / employer relations.” But how do leaders make this paradigm shift, even as they rec- ognize the importance of doing so, when they themselves are a product of a culture that for too long has ignored the mind / body / spirit connection? For many whose intentions are good, it is still a foreign concept. On March 30, 2022, however, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) took a bold step toward normalizing the concept of a “caring culture that embraces wellness” when it announced a collaborative partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) that will provide company leaders with the tools to take on this job throughout the U.S. construction industry. The partnership will draw on the AFSP’s expertise to develop and disseminate educational resources on mental health and suicide prevention in workplaces so that company leadership will understand what needs to be done, and so that the 46 percent of the workforce who said they did not know how to access information will now be able to do so. The team will also participate in key events where worker safety and health, and the development of safety and health practitioners, is addressed; provide practitioners with relevant information; and share opportunities about supportive programs and events with the ABC’s 69 chapters and AFSP chapters in every state. “Safety includes total human health—emotional, mental, intellectual, occupational, and spiritual wellness—and we must continue to raise the bar for safety in the construction workforce of more than 7.5 million,” said Greg Sizemore, ABC Vice President of Health, Safety, Environment, and Workforce Development, as shared in a news release. “Our people are our greatest assets, and this partnership will take our total human health and safety practices to the next level. Going forward, this is the greatest opportunity to leverage and advance world-class safety for our people, both physically and mentally,” said Sizemore. 14 MAY 2023A global issue This is far from being only an American issue. It is recognized globally, with the construction industries in Canada and Australia, for example, addressing it through programs such as LivingWorks and MATES. Based in Calgary and started in 1983, LivingWorks offers two suicide prevention programs, LivingWorks ASIST and safeTalk, which use a “train the trainer” model for dissemination. In Australia, MATES, which is modelled on LivingWorks, aims to raise awareness around the topic and over the past 10 years has gained acceptance by a number of large companies who are asking to have their sites MATES-accredited. Excellent as these and other programs are, real change will only come with a cultural paradigm shift in the construction industry and the development of a holistic view of wellness. Ironically, that same industry is leading the way in reshaping the built environment, creating buildings that are net zero carbon and that provide the very workplaces focused on wellness for employees in other fields—financial, health, education, and retail, among others. It’s time to turn that same energy inward and provide construction industry workers with the level of attention and care they need and deserve. “On March 30, 2022, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) took a bold step toward normalizing the concept of a ‘caring culture that embraces wellness’ when it announced a collaborative partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.” Designed by Ashley DowlingReal estate, when developed thoughtfully in concert with policies and standards that uphold sound princi- ples of design and function, plays a vital role in building prosperous economies and vibrant communities. It is also subject, however, to the laws of supply and demand, which certainly complicate how the market functions. Housing is now a commodity, which contradicts its core function as a recognized international human right. As housing stock is in short supply and demand remains high, prices have been driven through the roof, which has implications for home ownership, rental costs, and availability, worsening the housing crisis across North America. In Canada and the United States, there’s a strong desire amongst residents to own a home and as a result, a significant percentage of wealth is tied to real estate assets. At the peak of the subprime mortgage crisis in 2006/2007 which led to the fallout of the global financial crisis, real estate represented 6.7 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). When interest rates were cut in 2020, residential investment represented nearly a tenth of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP). While this number has decreased, it remains higher than the crisis levels experienced by the U.S. and while it may seem like the perfect storm is brewing, the Canadian market is far more insulated than its neighbours to the south. While market corrections like the one that took place in the U.S. are always looming, meaning Canada is never immune to crisis, the same level of fallout isn’t likely to take place as there are marked differences in how the respective markets operate. Canada’s market is better insulated thanks to more stringent lending practices, tighter borrowing requirements, and stricter rules about housing developments and house- flipping. Land transfer taxes and other rules limit developers’ ability to freely develop multiple properties at a time and offer greater market stability. Further, Canadian mortgage interest is not tax-deductible, ren- dering little tax advantage to holding large mortgages, as is Written by Jessica Ferlaino 16 MAY 2023the case in the U.S. where policies were developed to encour- age home ownership amongst all classes, including low- income Americans via subprime lending, which ultimately led to the crisis. There’s more to it, though. A 2021 Scotiabank study found that Canada has the fewest housing units per head of any G7 country, with two-thirds of the nation’s housing shortage in Ontario alone. This shortage is one of the biggest threats to stability so development needs urgently to be encouraged to meet the population’s needs—which the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) estimated to be 3.5 million additional housing units by 2030. To make matters worse, it’s a market dominated by inves- tors. During the pandemic, one in four residential properties in Ontario was owned by investors, and when it comes to investors, real estate investment trusts (REITs) are some of the biggest players in this space. As of October 2022, the nine leading Canadian REITs had a combined market capitaliza- tion of $50 billion CAD, an indication of the role these inves- tors play in the real estate market and the value and profit that can be unlocked. As Ontario is ground zero for most of Canada’s housing shortage, the government has invested resources to better understand “As housing stock is in short supply and demand remains high, prices have been driven through the roof, which has implications for home ownership, rental costs, and availability.”the market’s needs. The Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force consulted with stakeholders to get a better sense of why home prices have more than tripled in ten years and what can be done to address supply issues. As it stands, Ontario needs to build 1.5 million homes over the next ten years to address the supply shortage. Further to this, the Task Force identified that both land and infrastruc- ture in the province could be used more effectively, as there is a great deal of underused or redundant commercial and industrial space. From a legislative standpoint, many policy changes can be made to kickstart development in a way that serves both developers and the community. Amendments could be made to the Planning Act; zoning requirements could be modernized to make better use of land; and better incentives would encourage investments. “With better policies, procedures, and planning, the development and redevelopment of properties and land could work to create rich, vibrant communities where the needs of the entirety of the population are met.”Currently, of 35 OECD countries, Canada is second to last (to the Slovak Republic) in the time it takes to approve building projects. The process is complex and time-consuming and as we know, time is money. This is especially true of real estate developments. According to a 2020 study by BILD, every month a low-rise project is delayed amounts to $1.46 per square foot more in costs that are passed along. An easy way to simplify the process would be to digitize it and reduce the red tape to expedite development, as long as this is not done at the expense of accountability. The red tape, in this case, includes lengthy, complicated appli- cation and appeals processes, material and building restric- tions, the need for updated taxation laws and new funding models, and the high costs of doing business (materials and labour account for only half of the overall costs, with land, government, and development fees making up the rest). Done right, real estate development can rejuvenate commu- nities, but this doesn’t always happen. However, with better policies, procedures, and planning, the development and redevelopment of properties and land could work to create rich, vibrant communities where the needs of the entirety of the population are met. New residential development is often followed by commercial development—the shops and infrastructure, services and support that are required by any community to thrive, which leads to increased employment, additional growth, and a bump in prosperity. It’s clear that development is an important part of the equation when it comes to growth, but it needs to be done in a way that’s thought through and meaningful to ensure that it har- monizes with local objectives and needs. If it’s sustainable design using environmentally friendly materials, even better. Designed by Ebic Tristary 19 CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Next >