Overcoming Burnout: The Unseen Struggles of Construction Workers and Their Path to Recovery

When people enumerate the struggles of construction work, most people often come up with the physical labor that comes with it and the technicalities of creating safer spaces with people. Mental health usually goes under the radar despite how much it affects almost every worker within the industry. The first step to overcoming burnout is recognizing what people face. 

Stress Over Job Deadlines

One key contributor to construction workers’ burnout is facing many job deadlines. Especially for smaller companies, the reality of meeting project end dates can be very pressuring, as it’s a telltale sign of how well you can establish your footing within the industry.

Having to meet those deadlines can feel even heavier on an individual level. Daniel Roberts, the CEO of Lava Roofing, shares that he has been working for over 30 years. He has experience in direct construction work, project management, and operations management.

Coordinating with many team members, Roberts understands how burnout impacts workers in the field. “Exhaustion frequently appears after workers spend long hours under tight deadlines during physical labor.” 

“A heavy period in my work life hit me when we managed various client obligations and strict deadlines during that time,” he says. “Overwhelming pressure made me become irritable and distracted in my work. A few co-workers showed signs of detachment from their work yet most likely it was caused by emotional depletion.”

Excessive Emotional Resilience

Emotional resilience is often a praised attribute in almost any workplace. However, it can come to a point where workers are just pushing aside all of their feelings for the sake of performing work and meeting goals. These tendencies create a toxic work environment for individuals and others while isolating themselves.

This no-complaint mentality is quite common within the industry, according to Roberts. “Workplace culture in construction frequently admires workers who operate past exhaustion points. The workplace maintains a “fabricate-it-through” perspective that prevents workers from discussing either burnout or work-related stress.” 

He also details that he had formed a habit of working meetings without rest during his earlier years. As that workplace culture spread, it has resulted in excessive employee departures and staff dissatisfaction throughout the organization. 

Erwin Gutenkunst is the president and owner of Neolithic Materials, which produces sustainable and high-performance building materials. He also weighs in on how colleagues are pushing through the physical and mental exhaustion due to high expectations.

“People take pride in their work and do not want to be seen as struggling. Which makes it even harder to acknowledge burnout,” Gutkenkunst admits. “Long hours, unpredictable schedules and physically intense labor take a toll and when you add in jobsite risks and financial pressures, stress builds up fast.” 

The problem behind excessive emotional resiliency is managing those feelings. Some people discover and utilize harmful coping mechanisms. For example, about 12% of construction workers have alcohol use disorder, while 11.6% use illicit drugs. Others may pick up other unhealthy fixations like gambling and the like. 

Safety and Injury Risks

Another leering difficulty with overcoming burnout is conquering the anxiety of on-site work. Construction projects can get busy with so many hands and machinery at work. It can be physically exhausting and many elements like the weather and schedule are out of your control. 

Worker safety is often uncertain, with individuals wary of getting into accidents and injuries. About 58% of construction-related deaths consist of common incidents like falls, electrocution and getting caught in hazards.  

Gutenkunst believes it ties back into the pressure of tight deadlines. “Delays may mean financial losses, so there is always a sense of urgency. Rushing can lead to mistakes that put people at risk. The continuous balancing act between speed and safety is exhausting. If someone is mentally drained, their decision-making suffers and that is where accidents happen.”

Another industry leader, Roof Maxx CEO Micahel Feazel, believes safety risks that workers often don’t experience can contribute to anxiety and fatigue. “I wish there had been more training in stress management and recognizing burnout early on. More flexible scheduling, mandatory mental health breaks, and mentorship programs could help support workers before burnout worsens.” 

General Stigma on Mental Health

The construction industry is generally tight-knit. About 67% and 62% of workers are satisfied with their relationship with co-workers and supervisors, respectively. Each company also has high regard for one another. However, there is still a lingering stigmatization of discussing burnout and other specific mental health challenges. 

Feazel has noticed that more construction companies are offering Employee Assistance Programs and mental health resources, especially compared to his early 20s. However, he believes most workers do not use them due to stigma or lack of awareness. “A culture shift is necessary to normalize mental health conversations in the workplace,” he states.

Adam Bushell, the Director of AB Electrical & Communications, has worked with the Australian energy and construction sectors for over 10 years. He agrees with the sentiment, which showcases how the nature of construction work is something to shift globally. 

“The culture of construction can sometimes discourage open conversations about mental health. There is usually a “tough it out” mentality where workers feel like they have to push through without addressing their mental well-being,” Bushell comments. “This culture may build resilience but it can also cause mental health issues to be overlooked and left unaddressed eventually leading to burnout.”

The Rise of Suicidal Rates

Construction workers’ mental health is often left unaddressed, and it can leave individuals feeling like they no longer have other options. There were 91 suicide deaths per 100,000 among construction laborers in 2021. However, many other roles within the construction industry like structural iron and steel workers, roofers, carpenters and more struggled and died by suicide.

Hoffman Construction worker Justin Azbill shared in an NBC interview about how he almost attempted suicide before his daughter had urged him to spend time with her. On the same day, he had a moment of clarity when another safety professional shared how they struggled with loss during COVID-19. It helped him open up to his friend later on and realize the importance of his own life. 

Josh Vitale, a superintendent where Azbill was working, has been getting involved in several efforts to reduce suicide in the industry. He even shares that he has had his own mental health struggles. 

“It would be rare to find someone in the industry who hasn’t known a person that has taken their life within the last year or two,” Vitale commented. “As an industry, we just keep putting more and more pressure on the worker to outperform what they’ve done before, and at some point it’s just untenable.” 

How to Overcome Burnout

Overcoming burnout is a long process that requires effort from the whole industry. Here’s how industry leaders are actively changing the landscape to improve 

1. Flexible Schedules

Longer hours can be physically and mentally exhausting to deal with. About 83% of workers from varying industries want flexible hours, and offering the arrangements within the construction sector may be the key to change.

Roberts believes the strategy has been working for them. “Our organization underwent a strategic change to promote better work-life separation, which brought positive changes to our organizational performance. The implementation of flexible work schedules combined with stress-relief programs contributed to our company achieving a 14% decrease in employee retention rate.”

2. Employee Well-Being Assessments

While relationships within a construction company may allow workers to touch base with one another, overcoming burnout means being more proactive when understanding the mental state that workers are in. Roberts notes how Biomedical Depot introduced staff training about mental health at Lava Roofing. 

“The company now holds weekly meetings between supervisors and workers to assess employee well-being including both physical and mental condition,” Roberts reveals estatically. “Surveys show a positive reception to this adjustment, which resulted in increased worker satisfaction by 16%.”

Bushell believes this angle is also key. “Stress management training is available, but a more proactive approach such as mental health, which is openly discussed and supported into daily routines would have truly made a difference. Having regular check-ins or just encouraging open conversations would go a long way in preventing burnout.”

3. Open Mental Health Discussions

Apart from one-on-one discussions, overcoming burnout is also best done in groups. Seminars and workshops can help open doors to different conversations about construction workers’ mental health and how to overcome those struggles.

“Make more open discussion about mental health in construction and it has to come from leadership,” Gutenkunst says. “Training for recognizing burnout and access to counseling and better scheduling practices can make a difference. Encouraging people to take care of themselves. Construction workers take care of the built environment, but they need to be taken care of too.”

Bushell agrees with the same outlook, believing that a healthier work culture supporting mental health could help with burnout, productivity and safety. “A supportive environment would encourage workers to speak up and seek help when needed which creates a better overall work atmosphere.”

Recognize Mental Health by Overcoming Burnout

Professionals within the construction industry have all had their fair share of experiences that test their mental health. It’s important to recognize its impact and band together to overcome burnout and healing. With the right programs and a supportive environment, workers will feel safer and more secure.