Time to Talk: Mental Health Awareness Day
Time To Talk Day 2023 is approaching, an annual awareness day dedicated purposely to encouraging people across the nation to be honest and open about their mental health and any issues they’re facing.
It was first launched in 2014 and has since become an event that has sparked millions of conversations regarding mental well-being throughout schools, homeplaces, in the media and online.
It’s common knowledge that one in four people suffer from mental health problems, yet many of us are still afraid to open up.
In the Construction Industry, mental health is a silent crisis that is taking its toll on many of our workers. According to the Chartered Institute of Building, males working in construction are three times as likely to commit suicide than those in other sectors.
A survey distributed by Mates in Mind in 2021, suggested that in the UK’s construction industry:
- Two workers commit suicide every working day – that’s over 700 people per year
- 48% of workers have had to take time off due to unmanageable stress
- 91% have felt overwhelmed whilst at work
- 26% have experienced suicidal thoughts
It is very clear that this is becoming a very serious issue, and the construction industry must urgently pull together and work hard to prevent this.
At STP, we are proactively trying to tackle this issue, and have recently implemented two new policies for our team:
Mental Health and Well-being policy
We aim to improve the mental health of our employees by identifying, eliminating or minimising all harmful procedures and behaviours that may cause psychological harm.
Management of Stress policy
We aim to promote employee well-being by suggesting proactive and supportive management of work-related stress.
We encourage an open environment for our team, operating both a no-blame culture and an open-door policy, that allows employees to speak to either senior management or our mental health champion Tony Day about any problems they may be dealing with.
If you are struggling to cope with the everyday pressures of life and need someone to talk to, the Samaritans are available 24/7. Visit their contact page or call 116 123.
