Health and wellbeing

Health and safety is not just about physical injuries. Health and wellbeing deserve the same attention as physical safety. Construction can be demanding. Deadlines, long hours, travel, and personal pressures can all affect how we think, feel and perform.

Sometimes the most important question you can ask a colleague is: “Are you okay?” The construction sector employs circa 190,000 people, with men accounting for 91% of the workforce. Research indicates that construction workers face disproportionately higher rates of mental health challenges, suicide, chronic illness, respiratory disease, and workplace accidents. Many of these risks are preventable, making the workplace a key setting for improving health outcomes, engaging employees in positive health initiatives, and fostering a stronger, more supportive organisational culture.

The Department of Health commissioned Crowe to evaluate the health and wellbeing needs of CIF member organisations. The objective was to identify current strengths, gaps and opportunities to help CIF develop a more effective and sustainable approach to workplace wellbeing across the construction sector. The findings highlight that the construction sector has strong foundations in physical health and safety, supported by well-established systems and regulatory requirements. However, engagement with mental health and broader wellbeing initiatives is more variable, particularly among site-based and transient workers. Workers respond best to practical, face-to-face and on-site wellbeing supports, while digital and self-directed initiatives generally achieve lower levels of engagement.

The review also found that workplace wellbeing activities are often fragmented, reactive and campaign-driven, with limited integration into everyday business operations. Structural and cultural challenges, including workforce mobility, time pressures and stigma, continue to hinder participation. In addition, the absence of a consistent sector-wide framework and standardised measurement limits opportunities for shared learning and continuous improvement.

Overall, the review concludes that while significant wellbeing activity already exists across the sector, greater integration, consistency and alignment with workforce needs are required. With support from the Department of Health, CIF is well positioned to lead the development of a strategic, preventative and sustainable workplace wellbeing programme that can improve employee health outcomes, strengthen workforce engagement and support long-term organisational performance across the construction industry.