Excellence in Mental Health and Wellbeing

This category looks to recognise teams, divisions or companies that have gone above and beyond to promote mental health support and wellbeing in engineering or construction. From pioneering educational programmes aimed at fostering awareness to providing robust mental health support and actively addressing bias surrounding mental health constraints, this award celebrates employers who are doing the best to support their workforce in these areas.

Arcadis

Health and Wellbeing is a fundamental element of our Health, Safety and Wellbeing priority to protect our people by eliminating risk and preventing harm in everything we do. In doing so we are ‘Protecting our People’. Our wellbeing strategy aims to ensure Arcadians feel psychologically safe to speak about their lived experience of wellbeing and mental health at work, especially if it is having an impact on them, or if work itself is a contributing factor to mental illness, poor wellbeing or injury. Whilst our submission recognises our efforts so far, our aspirations is to achieve parity between physical and psychological health and safety at work which takes a systems-based approach. Where health and wellbeing across the project lifecycle is fundamental to ensure physical and psychological hazards are identified and controlled to enable the delivery of sustainable projects for our clients to improve the quality of life.

Colas
Period dignity: ending the stigma

At Colas, we decided it was time to drop the shame and start talking openly about periods. Considering the scale of our industry, it’s shocking to think language like ‘aunt flo’ and ‘on the blob’ is still used to hide normal bodily functions. 32% of those identifying as male said it’s unprofessional to talk about periods at work. For these reasons, our Area 9 team launched its 'Period Dignity Campaign', now executed nationally. In addition to providing free sanitary products, we aimed to overcome barriers preventing women from openly discussing their periods in a typically male dominated industry. With the voice of our female workforce at the front and centre of this strategy, we readdressed adequacy of facilities, redesigned PPE, implemented new policies, and improved working culture. Through education and awareness, we're normalising conversations about gender-based health disparities, empowering women to discuss their periods openly, fostering a more inclusive environment.

Heidelberg Materials

Our application for the Excellence in Mental Health and Wellbeing Award displays our consistent demonstration of innovative programs, dedicated professionals, and a holistic approach that has made a significant positive impact. Our approach recognising the mind-body connection and prioritising the mental wellbeing of our employees through comprehensive services. With a team of 390 trained volunteer MHFAs we ensure that our colleagues receive the support they need for their mental health concerns. By introducing initiatives such as distributing mental health first aid directories and establishing well-being suites, we foster an open and stigma-free culture around mental health discussions. Through our company calendar and webinars, we engage employees in various mental health topics, witnessing exceptional participation in events. Our achievements extend to attaining the ISO 45003:2021 certification for psychological safety and a 74% employee engagement score, underlining the care and value we place on its employees' wellbeing.

Hive Projects

Hive Projects proudly champions gender equality, founded by two industry professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a 'people-first' approach, we've cultivated a culture of inclusivity and diversity at every level. Our 50/50 director gender split, and senior leadership team reflect our commitment to breaking barriers. We maintain a zero gender pay gap, ensuring fair compensation for all. Our directors, having experienced pay disparity firsthand, prioritised transparency in our pay structure. We provide mentorship and opportunities to support women into leadership roles and offer inclusive working conditions. Beyond our walls, we drive positive change through charity and partnership initiatives, ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are at the forefront. At Hive Projects, diversity isn't just accepted; it's celebrated.

Hochtief-Murphy JV
For the generations ahead – mental health matters initiative

HMJV’s “Mental Health Matters” initiative aims at leaving a legacy for future generations working in construction creating a safe space to speak up and raise awareness. The Mental Health Committee is formed by a passionate group of individuals in our organisation and on our projects coming together from different walks of life and experiences in order to create campaigns and initiatives to provide the right tools and an environment whereby people can address mental health issues promptly. Their influence extends beyond this project by offering free Mental Health courses to communities we work in and to charities that the project supports, hoping to ultimately positively affect the construction industry as a whole.

Joseph Gallagher

Our Wellbeing Initiative focused on creating a psychologically healthy workplace, prioritizing personalized mental health assessments with GAD-7, promoting the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and achieving ISO45003 certification. Through data-driven analysis of assessment results, we tailored initiatives to meet our workforce's needs, fostering a supportive environment and enhancing mental health awareness. We developed a structured wellbeing awareness calendar and wellbeing-focused events, including "Coffee and Cake Time" and a football tournament, to strengthen social connections. Additionally, we offered regular health check-ups and a comprehensive rewards platform to incentivize participation in wellbeing activities. Our comprehensive Stakeholder Analysis, involving employees and management, ensured the initiative was well-aligned with diverse needs, enhancing our reputation as a preferred employer and significantly reducing employee anxiety. As a wellbeing department we focused on the human centric approach regarding wellbeing.#

Multiplex Construction Europe
Mental Health

Our Mental Health awareness videos 2021 - https://vimeo.com/628980525 - 2022 https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/756778008/682bfb3b72 Vimeo Link to wellness committee: https://vimeo.com/873728146/257d131f10?ts=0&share=copy

Claire has never given up with trying to break the stigma of mental health, with a large business it takes years with embedding a cultural change, Claire has defiantly been the main contributor towards steering the business to a better place. Claire has dedication and cares about mental health with a passion. Claire is thoroughly deserving of such recognition for what she has done in serving the needs of our construction industry by providing help for those that need it most.

On The Tools
Behind the high-vis: a mental health white paper

Behind the High-Vis: a Mental Health White Paper was created to explore the full scale and impact of mental ill health in the construction industry. We were able to engage the breadth of the UK construction industry to consider the views of tradespeople and industry bodies to compile a comprehensive report. The report has been downloaded over 1,000 times since its launch for Mental Health Awareness Week in May 2023, with strong press, social media, and digital engagement received. The report acts as a pivotal step in understanding the challenges faced, and the changes that are needed.

RSK Environment
Geosciences - Southampton team

Our team operates a culture of openness and support where the wellbeing of the team is central. We are diverse and inclusive, with a blend of ages, genders, nationalities and cultures, where everyone is heard and appreciated for the values they each bring. Recognising we spend a significant amount of our lives at work, under demanding conditions, it is important to acknowledge that we are not robots and to talk when mental health is in decline. In a tough sector where historically it has not always been possible to discuss vulnerabilities, thankfully attitudes within the construction industry are changing and promoting wellbeing and inclusion. Our company is a leading example of being receptive to new ideas and supporting colleagues. New initiatives are being developed through our Neurodiversity Network to empower leaders to create office environments suitable for neurodivergent and neurotypical staff, which could maximise wellbeing, staff retention and productivity.

Waterman Aspen
Our commitment to colleague mental health and wellbeing

Waterman Aspen prioritises their colleague’s mental health and wellbeing. We were proud to achieve Gold in the Mind Workplace Wellbeing Index in 2023, showing improvement from Silver in 2021 and 2022. Our 67 trained Mental Health First Aiders, awareness campaigns on various mental health topics, and access to therapy and support groups are some of the many initiatives that we invest in. We encourage open communication through newsletters, senior leader stories and surveys. Colleague feedback is valued and has led to company policy improvements including enhanced maternity leave and a menopause policy. We are a people-centric organisation and as such, we foster a supportive environment where colleagues feel comfortable seeking help and discussing mental health.