Promoting Mental Wellness in the A|E|C Industry

In a positive step to address mental wellness in the United States, the FCC has recently launched 988 as the newest suicide and crisis line. The government has dedicated $432 million in funding to the program to bolster the existing infrastructure of local crisis centers and improve the responsiveness of the program. With 1 in 5 Americans experiencing a mental illness within a given year, it is no surprise that organizations both public and private are increasingly being proactive about positively impacting the mental wellbeing of their workforce. Lamentably, the mental health crisis is especially pronounced in the A|E|C space, with the construction industry having “one of the highest suicide rates” based on a CDC study.

The existing mental health crisis, coupled with the volatile state of the economy and stresses from the pandemic, has put an extra stress test on the mental wellness of the built environment workforce. To quote former ASHRAE President Mike Schwedler, “Mental health has come to the forefront as an issue [in this industry].” Organizations rely on the productivity of their people to achieve business goals and drive their mission; thus, it’s important firms support their employees’ health and promote employee wellness. Employer-funded mental wellness programs not only help ensure that a company’s workforce is well enough to work, they help promote employee retention, bolster hiring efficacy, and enhance employee morale. 

Leaders have a unique opportunity to support and advocate for their people’s well-being. Below are a few tactics that can be implemented to improve mental health in the workforce.

• Destigmatizing Discussing Mental Health: Traditionally in the workplace, professionals have been uncomfortable disclosing any mental health challenges they have experienced due to a fear of backlash. This trend is certainly changing. In a 2021 NAMI survey “52% of respondents say they have been more open with others about their mental health since the pandemic started.” While a positive trend across many industries, the built environment still has a lot of work to be done around this issue. In a recent study, the APA surveyed members of the construction industry, and it was found that only 17% of respondents would openly discuss mental health issues with their supervisor. . If you or someone else has been affected by mental health issues, and are willing to discuss it, it’s a tangible way to show that employees can be wholly human at work and not be judged for it. The more we can talk about the challenges that affect us, the better we can address the issues and provide the necessary support.
• Modeling Good Mental Wellness Hygiene: Promoting and maintaining good mental wellness practices has historically been more challenging within the AEC industry; an industry known for its long hours. The work-life imbalance norms of the built environment have had a demonstrably deleterious effect on mental wellness. If engineers see their project managers working and sending out emails at 2:00 AM in the morning, then the implicit expectation is that all employees should do the same. Modeling good mental wellness hygiene is a task that will have to be taken on at all levels of the firm, especially among the leadership team. Be intentional about taking breaks throughout the day, practicing mindfulness, and setting boundaries between work and personal life; so try handing off that community hearing to a colleague if you have worked 40+ hours that week.
• Employee Assistance Programs Employee Assistance Programs, also known as EAPs, are work-based programs that employers provide to assist with various issues that may arise in their employees’ personal lives. These programs offer a variety of services from short-term counseling, financial consultation, to sourcing child care. Some organizations will use external providers, in-house teams, or a hybrid of both. Each organization has its unique needs and it is important to choose the option that will make the most sense for a firm’s workforce. 
• Mental Health Days: Between community engagements, after-hours association events, and last-minute crunches to meet big deadlines, the work week of A|E|C professionals is rarely confined to the parameters of  Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Offering employees designated mental health days to recharge is a great mechanism for promoting mental healing and preventing burnout. DesignForce recommends organizations have this policy listed in the benefits package and discuss it with employees to encourage them to actually use this benefit throughout the year. 
• Training: Although it is not uncommon for people to experience mental health challenges in the workplace, most HR personnel have not been formally trained on how to properly address these critical moments with employees. Fortunately, this is certainly changing and there are programs being developed that give managers and members of an HR department the tools to navigate mental health challenges with staff. In a study done by the APA, 94% of employees who received employer-sponsored mental health training found this type of support effective. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing has launched a Mental Health First Aid for the Workplace program to teach employers how to recognize the warning signs of an oncoming mental health challenge and how to approach a conversation with employees who are experiencing one. 
• Partnering with Service: The process of identifying and selecting mental health providers can be daunting, tedious, and discouraging. When you combine the existing demands to keep up with project deadlines, client meetings, community hearings, and other common aspects of the AEC industry, it can seem like a herculean feat to find the time to seek mental health assistance. To lower the barrier to receive effective support, a myriad of user-friendly, virtual mental health providers have arisen, fueled by the onset of the pandemic. An increasingly popular trend is for employers to partner with these services such as BetterHelp, an online therapy service, or HeadSpace an online mindfulness platform. According to McKinsey, “They are accessible at any time and from anywhere, providing help on demand without the long waits often needed for in-person therapy.” The convenience and ease of these platforms ultimately make it more likely to be used by employees.

While all of the suggestions above are great tactics to use, the best starting place for organizations seeking to bolster the wellness of their employees is to begin to acknowledge that mental health is a challenge that all humans face. Businesses utilize operational initiatives to track the success of their business such as goal creation, budget setting, and metric tracking.  These same operational steps must be taken for a mental health initiative to truly make an impact on employees’ lives. The importance of mental wellness should be ingrained in the company culture and truly a part of employees’ lived experience with that organization. Promoting mental wellness should be not in a silo, but rather an integral part of working at that firm.