Tips for Taking Care of Your Construction Staff
Whether you’re a seasoned construction manager or a newly minted site supervisor, understanding the value of employee welfare is crucial. Construction work is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s the people we work with, day in and day out, who bring the blueprint to life.
Safety, productivity, and welfare revolve around a single and far-too-often neglected aspect of the workplace – caring for the hearts and minds of your employees. Here, we’ll provide actionable tips to look after your construction workers’ mental and physical health, helping you create a more sustainable, fulfilling, and healthy work environment.
Stress and Burnout in Construction
Anyone who’s worked in construction knows it can be a high-pressure environment. The mental and physical strain takes its toll and can result in your team struggling to keep its head above the water.
An overworked team is neither safe nor productive. It’s critical to recognise the signs of stress and burnout in order to take care of your construction staff.
Set Clear Boundaries
Work-life balance is the key word here – it’s something that’s absolutely vital for the wellbeing of your staff. Establish clear and consistent boundaries between work hours and personal time, and make sure that your team can fully disengage from their tasks once they leave the site.
Encourage your staff to talk plainly about their workload and give them a helping hand to manage their responsibilities effectively. This aids in reducing stress levels and helps to build an environment of trust and support within the team.
Foster a Supportive Culture
By building a culture of culture and support, as we mentioned above, you can make your team feel valued and understood. This reduces workplace stress and enhances team cohesion. When weighing up the ways to take care of your construction staff, you might go down the formal route of teambuilding exercises and workshops or down a more conversational, informal avenue.
Either way, creating a space where your staff feel they can be honest about their professional and private concerns can lead to a stronger, more connected team.
Regular Check-Ins
When it comes to understanding the importance of looking after your construction staff, communication is key. Whether you schedule meetings or just take a moment for a cup of coffee and a chat, it’s a great way of keeping your finger on the pulse regarding your team’s wellbeing.
This works both ways, too. It allows you to get great feedback from your staff as well as recognise hard work and accomplishments and suggest areas for improvement.
Physical Health in Construction
The physical demands of the construction industry are well known. Long days of heavy lifting, often outdoors in extreme weather conditions, can take a toll. To promote the physical wellbeing of your staff, it’s vital to implement robust measures.
Health and Safety Training and Awareness
If you’re looking for tips for taking care of your construction staff, this is one that you cannot skimp on. Health and safety training is a fundamental component of looking after the health of construction workers. This should involve regular safety drills and the provision of up-to-date resources that are easily accessible to all staff.
Initiating a culture where safety comes first, including the right use of PPE and adherence to safe working practices, is crucial.
Ergonomic Site Design
Optimising the construction site for ergonomics plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the physical health of your workers. This involves designing workspaces and selecting tools that promote efficient, safe, and comfortable working conditions.
For example, utilising machinery that reduces the need for manual handling can lower the risk of muscle and joint injuries. Equally, ensuring that workstations are set up to minimise awkward postures or repetitive movements can help prevent occupational musculoskeletal disorders.
What Are the Benefits of Looking After Your Construction Staff?
We believe that there is a moral and ethical obligation to look for the right ways to take care of your construction staff. But it’s not just the right thing to do; it also holds tangible workplace benefits. In fact, prioritising the wellbeing of your construction staff yields significant returns for your organisation.
Improved Productivity
Healthy and happy employees are more focused on and engaged in their work. They require fewer sick days, and their commitment to their role translates into better project outcomes and long-term productivity.
Higher Retention Rates
Companies that care for their employees attract and retain top talent. By focusing on staff care, you’ll reduce turnover rates and the costs associated with recruiting and training new employees.
Enhanced Reputation
A reputation for valuing staff members as individuals can be a powerful marketing tool. Not only does this help attract a quality workforce, but it also builds your company’s brand, potentially helping to bring in new project opportunities.
Are You Looking for a Recruitment Partner That Prioritises Staff Wellbeing?
At ITS, we’re committed to providing a supportive and inclusive environment for every member of a team. Whether this is working with underrepresented groups in the construction industry, like women and young people, or our dedication to improving diversity and inclusion across the sector, we’re passionate about making the building trade a more welcoming and open space.
We believe that managing physical and mental health plays a crucial role in achieving this, which is why we’re proud to work with construction-based mental health charities and initiatives to understand the impact mental health can have on people in the industry.
To find out more, please feel free to get in touch with our team today.
