Skanska, McCarthy, Promote Mental Health Awareness in Construction Industry
Skanska and McCarthy are taking steps to raise awareness and address the high number of mental health issues that plague workers in the construction industry.
"I think the big issue is there is a sense of pride in the construction worker, and they do not want to show any type of weakness, whether it's physically or mentally," Skanska Environmental Health and Safety Director for Texas Carlos Alvarez said. "So I think it is important to address mental health awareness in the construction industry."
Construction workers were amongst the first to return to work last year. They faced the daily stress of fear of exposure as well as fear of job security due to the shuttering of many jobsites early in the year.
These factors have undoubtedly taken a toll on mental health.
Both companies are taking strides to tackle the problem head on with new initiatives to make sure that workers, "know that it is okay to not be okay."
McCarthy Building Southern Region President Joe Jouvenal says of their process, "it shined a light on how much more important it is now that we not just address [mental health] as part of [the overall wellness] strategy, but make it a part of the conversation because there is a stigma many times that surrounds mental illness."
May is mental health awareness month, and Skanska and McCarthy are two of the construction companies that are taking the opportunity to highlight mental health issues in the industry and help erase the stigma surrounding it.
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