Construction Wellbeing Model

To help contractors have a better understanding of how to approach a worker wellbeing culture, Holmes Murphy Construction has created a Construction Wellbeing Model that provides a framework for developing and implementing a tactical strategy.

What is a Worker Wellbeing Culture?

The discussion around worker wellbeing on the jobsite is an important one to have. Workplace culture isn’t how your company operates, but how you treat your workers, and more importantly, how your company supports these efforts. A positive, hardworking culture isn’t created overnight. Your culture needs to focus on your workers. You will reap the benefits when your workers see, hear, and feel the commitment your company has invested into worker wellbeing and addresses the critical areas to support their wellbeing challenges.

Benefits of a Worker Wellbeing Culture

A Well-Defined and Management-Supported Wellbeing Culture Makes a Difference

By defining your wellbeing culture and ensuring management is on board, you can set your organization and employees up for success. Benefits of a Worker Wellbeing Culture can include:

Improved connections with crewmates and coworkers
More focus and engagement on work tasks
Increased awareness of physical health risks
Reduced stigma and avoidance talking about emotional health
Willingness to talk about wellbeing at home with family or loved ones
Decreased levels of stress and anxiety
Decreased tardiness, absenteeism, and voluntary/involuntary turnover
Improved psychological safety among crews and coworkers, thereby reflecting greater empathy, trust, and engagement of the workforce
Increased productivity
Decreased presenteeism combined with increased focus and concentration
Fewer jobsite incidents, accidents, and injuries

What Comes With Holmes Murphy’s Construction Wellbeing Model?

This model consists of a variety of wellbeing tools, strategies, and outcomes to make sure we address all six areas of the Construction Wellbeing Scorecard – Workplace, Workforce, Worker, Worksite, Work Tasks, and Work Group. Keep reading for a preview of what you can expect from partnering with us for your Wellbeing Model.

Critical Incident Response

One of the most important aspects of a worker wellbeing platform is the ability for your company to swiftly and effectively respond to a critical incident, such as:

A catastrophic incident that disrupts a construction jobsite and affects the emotional wellbeing of the workforce
An intervention for a worker who is experiencing an emotional/mental health challenge

Effective Strategy

An effective worker wellbeing strategy requires more than top-down leadership support. Instilling wellbeing into your company culture requires close alignment between safety and health, HR, and operational functions, such as:

Recruiting
Orientation/onboarding
Training and development
Employee benefits
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Leaves/accommodation tracking
Labor relations
Workforce development

Likewise, effective wellbeing strategies focus on how to integrate the physical aspects of safety with the emotional and behavioral health to reduce risks and improve worker performance.

Employee Perception Survey

The Employee Perception Survey helps engage with your workers to identify and understand their perception of the wellbeing culture within your company. The survey helps to identify opportunities for not only enhancing existing initiatives but also developing new initiatives focusing on worker wellbeing.

Leadership And Supervisor Development

Education and training courses are focused on the field supervisor/crew lead or, as we call it, “The Point of Impact.”

Let’s Get Started

Are you ready to implement the Holmes Murphy Construction Wellbeing Model?

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Find additional insights and resources on our Construction Worker Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention page.

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Wellbeing & Suicide Prevention Initiatives

New Hire Orientation

During new hire orientation, discuss the importance of worker wellbeing, the company’s EAP and how to access it, and crisis hotline information.

Employee Assistance Program

An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) helps employees and their dependent family members address challenges that arise in everyday life — both at work and home. Evaluating and understanding your EAP is critical for a worker wellbeing initiative. Promote your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through the use of workplace posters, wallet cards, or other easy-to-spot items.

Promotional Tools

Share valuable information with your team with communication tools like workplace posters or company newsletter and blogs. Workplace posters provide important information to workers on worker wellbeing, suicide prevention support, and suicide crisis hotlines. Use communication tools, such as newsletters and blogs, to share with employees your company’s vision and leadership’s commitment to worker wellbeing and suicide prevention.

Safety Huddles

Safety huddles are an effective way to continue the dialogue and break down mental health stigma at the crew level. Use this as an opportunity to observe and ask employees if they are ready to work without distractions and allow a “safety timeout” if someone needs to refocus.

Pre-Project Safety Moments and Meetings

Share focused safety moments on behavioral health topics (and not just traditional safety topics), including mental health, substance use, and crisis hotlines. During pre-season or pre-project safety kickoff meetings, reiterate “It is OK to not be OK” and how workers can seek help and support for behavioral and mental health challenges.

Supervisory & Employee Training Sessions

These types of sessions are effective for providing more information and to expand awareness for wellbeing support and suicide prevention. Another opportunity for supervisors and employees to connect about safety is with a Safety Stand-Downs which can boldly demonstrate leadership support for worker wellbeing.

Hard Hat Stickers

Stickers are worn like badges of honor on workers’ hardhats. The use of stickers can be one of the best ways to promote worker wellbeing. On these stickers, be sure to provide EAP and/or crisis hotline information.