New Research: Burnout Impacts 1 in 8 Construction Workers

  Posted by: electime      21st June 2024

Health insurer Vitality  share insights from their latest report, Britain’s Healthiest Workplace, the country’s largest workplace wellbeing survey.

According to the survey of 4,000 workers and their employers, the insurer found that workers in the construction industry lose 42.3 days of productive time per year due to absence and presenteeism, with 13 per cent of workers stating that they have experienced burnout.

Additional top-level insights from the survey include:

• 6 per cent of construction workers suffer from depression, and 18 per cent have problems getting quality sleep.
• 29 per cent of construction workers believe their employer should play a more active role in helping them maintain their health and wellbeing.

Mental health issues have the greatest negative impact on workplace productivity

Across all industry sectors in the UK, depression, fatigue and burnout have the greatest negative impact on productivity, with individuals at risk of the conditions losing 151 per cent, 141 per cent and 120 per cent more productive days than those who do not report them.

According to the survey, 6 per cent of construction workers suffer from depression, and 13 per cent have experienced burnout. 44 per cent of the construction workforce also reported feeling ‘fatigued’ or ‘very tired’ at least once per week.

The leading causes of employee fatigue among construction workers include a lack of restorative sleep and overworking. 18 per cent of construction workers say they have problems getting quality sleep, with 33 per cent sleeping less than seven hours per night.

Physical health still presents a risk to employee productivity

While mental health issues have the greatest impact on productivity, physical health issues continue to contribute to lost time in the workplace, and their impact cannot be overlooked.

Across all industries, poor diet (not eating the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day), musculoskeletal conditions and a lack of physical activity increased lost time by 14 per cent, 54 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.

In the construction industry, 56 per cent of workers eat a poor diet, 21 per cent are considered obese (BMI>30), 50 per cent have at least two types of musculoskeletal conditions and 37 per cent are physically inactive (<150 minutes of activity per week).

Only 1 in 4 UK employees use health initiatives offered by their employer

Despite the clear correlation between health and productivity, it is clear that employees in the construction industry do not feel their workplace culture adequately supports their wellbeing. 29% of construction workers believe their employer should play a more active role in helping them maintain their wellbeing.

Efforts are being made by companies to address this issue, with employers offering an average of 47 ‘interventions’ for tackling health issues. However, only 25 per cent of individuals surveyed reported using the measures offered by their employer.

The benefits of engaging with health interventions are evident. The survey found that 85 per cent of those who use the health initiatives provided by their employer find them useful.