Report into industry’s mental health
Two thirds of Kiwi construction industry workers are highly satisfied with their jobs, according to a mental health report that aims to provide a baseline measure of wellbeing.
After proving it is possible to measure and increase wellbeing of a sector through the results of the Farmstrong nationwide wellbeing programme for farmers, the Mental Health Foundation turned its attention to residential construction workers, with a report aimed at understanding wellbeing of the sector.
Of the 165,000-plus people working in the residential construction industry in New Zealand, a sample of 422 were surveyed for the Residential Construction Wellbeing report, through an online questionnaire.
Key findings
The majority of the sector reported being satisfied with life
The sector’s WHO-5 wellbeing score of 15.5 is slightly higher than the overall New Zealand average*. Additionally, fewer people in the sector reported a score that indicates poor emotional wellbeing (<13) compared to the overall NZ population*.
However, people working within residential construction appear to be experiencing more stress and feelings of loneliness than the average New Zealander.
Participation in wellbeing activities is high
Many construction industry workers had engaged in at least one activity to maintain and/or improve their wellbeing in the last two weeks. The majority had done at least four activities.
Compared to the average New Zealander*, people in the sector are more likely to have done regular physical activity (66%), given time & attention to helping others (50%), done things to help them sleep well (33%), and spent time learning new things (32%).
Pay, the nature of construction work, and workload are key challenges
Two in three surveyed said they are highly satisfied with their job.
Satisfaction with work-life balance is slightly lower, with one in five stating they are dissatisfied with the balance between the time they spend on work and other aspects of their life.
In addition to low pay, the physical demands of the job and instability and uncertainty around the amount and availability of work are said to be the top challenges for those in the sector.
Workload appears as a key issue, with some people reporting feeling burnt out and fatigued.
Among aspects identified as most important in a job, people working in the sector also reported lower levels of satisfaction with feeling supported at work and being able to develop their skills.
The sector is perceived as being more stressful by those who work in it than the results indicate
Nearly a quarter (22%) of residential construction workers say that they experienced stress most of the time/always at work in the last year.
However, when asked about the sector in general, around a third (34%) say that they think the sector is stressed most of the time / always.
Most know how to seek help and feel supported with their wellbeing at work
Around three-quarters of the sector know where to go to get help at work and has a workplace that supports their wellbeing.
Most people also appear to be comfortable talking to their boss, supervisor, or colleague about problems or issues that they might have beyond their day-to-day tasks at work.
However, some improvements can be made around encouraging people to talk more openly about their wellbeing at work, particularly among team members not in leadership or supervisory roles.
A relatively small proportion of the sector (11%) indicated they would rely on themselves to solve problems rather than asking or talking to other people. Interestingly, owners and managers/supervisors are more likely to exhibit this behaviour.
Residential construction workers’ overall life satisfaction is comparable to New Zealanders’, sitting at 80%, compared to 83.6% satisfaction in the most recent wider New Zealand Health Survey 2021/22. Looking at the ethnic groups in isolation, however, Māori are significantly more likely to express a high life satisfaction (92%) than any other group.
* NZ average is based on MHF Wellbeing Amongst New Zealanders report run by Ipsos in Feb 2023.
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