What real wellbeing looks like on site and why it starts with how people are treated
Mental health in construction is often discussed in statistics, campaigns and awareness days. But for many people working on site, wellbeing is shaped far earlier and far more quietly by everyday decisions: how welfare is provided, how people are spoken to, whether concerns are taken seriously, and whether fairness exists between office and site.
In this episode of Build & Thrive, host Jennie Armstrong is joined by Stuart Wallis, Associate Director at Mace, for an honest and wide-ranging conversation about what actually affects mental health in construction – and what still holds the industry back.
Stuart brings a rare perspective. Having worked across unions, trade bodies, contractors, agencies and major infrastructure projects, he understands construction from every angle. He also speaks openly about his own experience of anxiety, depression and neurodiversity, and why vulnerability has a place in leadership.
This blog summarises the key themes from the conversation and reflects on what they mean for the industry.
If this resonates, the full discussion is available as both a podcast and video, where Stuart and Jennie explore these issues in much greater depth.
Mental health is shaped long before crisis
One of the strongest messages from the episode is that mental health at work is not only about crisis intervention or support services. It is shaped daily by how people experience work.
Stuart is clear that many mental health challenges in construction are not caused by a single event, but by cumulative pressures and perceived unfairness.
“It’s not just about posters and helplines,” Stuart Wallis explains. “It’s about how people are treated every day. Do they feel respected? Do they feel listened to? Do they feel disposable?”
Jennie reflects on how often organisations focus on awareness while missing the conditions that create distress in the first place.
“We’ve spent years talking about awareness,” says Jennie. “But awareness doesn’t prevent harm on its own. Prevention is about changing how work is designed and how people are treated.”
This shift from awareness to prevention is a recurring theme throughout the episode.
Fairness matters more than initiatives
A powerful part of the discussion centres on fairness – particularly the divide between office-based staff and the site workforce.
Small differences can carry huge emotional weight. Free fruit in offices but not on site. Comfortable spaces for one group, basic facilities for another. Decisions made without understanding the reality of working conditions.
Stuart shares an example where office leaders questioned why site workers expected basic provisions such as warm food during cold conditions. His frustration is clear.
“That sense of unfairness kills trust,” Stuart says. “People notice it immediately. And once trust is gone, productivity, morale and wellbeing all suffer.”
This sense of inequity goes beyond food or facilities. It extends to how time, flexibility and compassion are distributed.
When workers feel they are treated as less deserving than others, it reinforces a message that they are valued only for output, not as people.
Welfare is not a ‘nice to have’
The episode challenges the idea that welfare is an optional extra or a cost to be minimised.
Stuart makes a strong commercial argument: poor welfare directly damages productivity.
When workers have to walk long distances to access food or water, or spend large parts of their break simply changing PPE to leave site, productivity is quietly drained.
“If you lose an hour per person per day because welfare hasn’t been thought through,” Stuart explains, “that’s hundreds of hours lost. Suddenly welfare isn’t expensive at all – poor welfare is.”
Jennie highlights that basic human needs, when unmet, block any meaningful conversation about wellbeing.
“If someone is cold, hungry or exhausted, they’re not thinking about mindfulness or resilience,” she says. “They’re thinking about getting through the day.”
Speaking up still feels risky
Despite years of messaging around “speaking up”, Stuart is clear that many workers still fear the consequences.
For people on short-term or insecure arrangements, raising concerns can feel like a direct threat to their livelihood.
“I still hear people say, ‘If I speak up, I’ll be gone next week,’” Stuart says. “Even when leaders genuinely want to hear concerns, the fear is still there.”
This highlights a key tension: leadership intent does not always translate into psychological safety.
Trust is built through consistent action, not reassurance alone. Workers watch what happens when someone raises an issue. If they see retaliation, silence follows.
Respect during exits matters
Another overlooked contributor to mental health is how people are treated when work ends.
Construction’s transient nature means people frequently move between projects. But how that transition is handled matters deeply.
Stuart argues that simple acts of respect – such as giving notice, explaining decisions, and treating people like adults can make a significant difference.
“Just because someone is not directly employed doesn’t mean they don’t deserve decency,” he says. “How you end a working relationship stays with people.”
Sudden job loss, especially without explanation, can trigger financial stress, anxiety and loss of confidence – all known risk factors for poor mental health.
Mental health is not separate from physical safety
A striking comparison in the episode is between physical safety investment and mental health investment.
Construction rightly invests heavily in physical safety systems, expertise and equipment. Mental health, by contrast, is often left to volunteers, champions or goodwill.
“We would never ask volunteers to design fall-arrest systems,” Stuart says. “But when it comes to mental health, we expect passion to replace proper resourcing.”
Jennie reinforces that mental harm is statistically one of the biggest risks in the industry, yet remains underfunded.
“If we’re serious about risk,” she says, “we have to take mental health as seriously as physical safety.”
Neurodiversity and hidden pressures
Stuart also speaks openly about being diagnosed with ADHD later in life, and how understanding his neurodiversity has changed how he works.
He points out that construction is full of neurodivergent people – often drawn to practical problem-solving, fast-paced environments and hands-on work.
Yet systems are rarely designed with neurodiversity in mind.
“There’s so much talent in this industry,” Stuart says. “But we don’t always set people up to succeed in the way they think and work best.”
Simple adjustments – clearer communication, visual information, quieter spaces, coaching rather than criticism – can significantly improve performance and wellbeing.
Many of these changes cost little or nothing.
Clients shape culture more than they realise
The episode also explores the role of clients in setting expectations.
Where clients commit early to welfare, wellbeing and realistic programme planning, healthier cultures follow. Where these issues are treated as secondary, contractors struggle to compensate later.
“If clients mean it, they have to back it early,” Stuart says. “Once a project is live, it’s much harder to fix.”
Jennie notes that wellbeing cannot be retrofitted.
“Culture is set at the start,” she says. “If wellbeing isn’t built into planning, contracts and budgets, it will always be compromised.”
From awareness to prevention
Perhaps the most important takeaway from the conversation is the need to move beyond awareness.
Campaigns, posters and training have value, but they cannot compensate for poor conditions, unfair treatment or insecure work.
Prevention means addressing the root causes of distress: workload, control, respect, clarity, support and fairness.
“Mental health isn’t separate from how work is organised,” Jennie says. “It’s a direct outcome of it.”
This conversation continues
This episode of Build & Thrive does not offer easy answers – because there aren’t any. But it does offer something more valuable: honesty, experience and practical insight.
Stuart Wallis’s reflections remind us that mental health in construction is not a side issue. It is central to safety, productivity, retention and dignity at work.
If you found this blog useful, we strongly recommend listening to the full podcast or watching the video episode, where these themes are explored in much greater depth, with nuance and real-world examples.
Key takeaways
- Mental health in construction is shaped by everyday treatment, not just crisis support
- Fairness between office and site strongly affects trust and wellbeing
- Welfare provision is a productivity issue, not a luxury
- Psychological safety is built through consistent action, not messaging
- How people are treated when work ends matters
- Mental health should be resourced like physical safety
- Neurodiversity is widespread in construction and often unsupported
- Clients play a critical role in setting the tone for wellbeing
- Awareness alone is not prevention – work design matters
Listen or watch the full episode of Build & Thrive to hear the complete conversation with Stuart Wallis and host Jennie Armstrong.
🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164
📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B
Join the Conversation!
Do you have experiences or thoughts on addiction and recovery in construction?
Drop a comment below or share this post to help break the stigma. Together, we can make wellbeing part of the culture – not just the policy.
Thank you to GKR Scaffolding for sponsoring the Build & Thrive podcast and supporting our mission to improve health and wellbeing across the construction industry.
At Construction Health & Wellbeing, we help organisations create healthier, happier, and more sustainable workplaces.
Contact us today to learn how we can support your strategy.
Learn more about the people and organisations mentioned in this episode:
Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/
Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/
Mace:
- Website: https://www.macegroup.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mace-group/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MaceGroup
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macegroup
- X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MaceGroup
Stuart Wallis:
GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/
