Loneliness in Construction: Building Team Connections

Two years ago, when I applied to become a trustee for the Pagabo Foundation, I was already acutely aware of the silent mental health crisis within the construction industry through my experiences in supporting colleagues. Urgent action was, and still is, needed to address mental health issues within the built environment sector so I wanted to play my part in tackling this head on, working alongside others who were passionate about making a difference. The charity makes vital efforts to signpost workers within construction to essential support and raises funds in innovative ways, for existing charities supporting better mental health.

Stress, anxiety and depression remain the dominant reasons for work-related illness within the sector, resulting in millions of sick days each year and an estimated annual cost of £70bn – £100 bn (National Building Specification). Suicide now kills more construction workers than falls every year, with 1-2 lives lost every working day. When the pandemic struck in 2020, new pressures were brought. Sudden uncertainty, changes in lifestyle, financial worries and physical health concerns were prevalent. The virus also dramatically upped levels of isolation, and, as a result, loneliness – the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week.

As humans, we’re biologically wired for social contact. Indeed, there’s a growing body of research that shows that the need to connect socially with others is as basic as our need for food, water and shelter. It’s essential for our survival. It will be no surprise then, that the sense of separation severely felt by 4 million people by October 2020 (Opinions and Lifestyle Survey) had a dramatic and devastating impact on their mental health.

Loneliness is a perceived mismatch between the quality or quantity of social connections that a person has and what they would like to have (Perlman, Daniel, and L. Anne Peplau. “Toward a social psychology of loneliness.”) We can all feel lonely at times – it’s a normal human emotion. You don’t have to be on your own to feel lonely – you might feel lonely in a relationship or while spending time with friends or family – especially if you don’t feel understood or cared for by the people around you.

The 2021 Campaign to End Loneliness survey, also found that Covid-19 exacerbated existing inequalities, meaning that groups already at risk of loneliness – such as those who were poorer, in worse health or from ethnic minorities or LGBTQ+ communities – were even more susceptible to feelings of loneliness during the pandemic.

Now lockdowns are over, loneliness hasn’t magically disappeared. It can be experienced by people in their personal lives and it can be experienced by people in their working lives. It affects generations differently, with younger and older people particularly affected, in turn leading to depression and physical health problems.

The Mental Health Foundation has a wealth of information about loneliness and a range of ideas for tackling it. I’ve identified three here that particularly resonate with me:

You deserve quality relationships: make building quality relationships a priority over a quantity of relationships. The bonds you have with people can help combat loneliness. Take time to strengthen your relationships. Tell yourself you deserve this.
You are allowed to open up: opening up about how you feel is not a weakness, it is courageous. Try sharing how you feel with someone you trust. Getting honest and vulnerable can help create connection.
You are in control: you can make positive changes to your life. You could do this by relaxing, reflecting or doing a new hobby. You can take action.
Workplace loneliness is also a major concern. With no connection to their colleagues, those affected could experience a drop in motivation and performance levels. Their sense of belonging to the organisation is compromised, and they feel they have no purpose. This can lead to them deciding to leave. A Harvard Business Review paper in 2021 made the point that employees don’t advertise their loneliness. It noted: “Objective markers like team membership, network structures, or someone’s degree of extroversion don’t reveal it. Loneliness at work is an entirely subjective internal belief: few people truly know me or would support me in my time of need.” This too, can have devastating long term personal impact.

There are a range of ways in which employers can tackle this:

Take team time out together to help people connect. Vary social events, what you do and where you go so that you get a good mix of attendees across different demographic groups.
Ensure your team meetings are not just for talking about the job. Take time to understand how each other’s wellbeing is, what interests each person has and what’s personally important to them right now.
Ensure colleagues have multiple routes to reach out to each other– online and in-person, shaping opportunities to share in interests regularly.
Two years on with the Pagabo Foundation and I am delighted to be working with the charity as we launch a new major fundraiser post pandemic. I’ll be joining the Pick Everard team next week for the Feelgood Games – a fitness movement set up by the Foundation to get the construction industry moving. The event will first take place 17th – 18th May at UKREiiF – The UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum in Leeds.

Keeping fit and staying active outside of work is a great way to promote mental wellbeing. Funds raised will be driven back in to training construction workers in mental health first aid. The initiative is also a fantastic way to help tackle loneliness, bringing everyone in the sector together to get moving, have fun and feel better. It’s going to be in our best interests to work together, focus on our shared goal and play to our strengths. There’s a real buzz when we come together. I, for one, am looking forward to teaming up with my colleagues and creating some fantastic lasting memories together, for a worthy cause.