Onward Shift Newsletter
Mental Health, Wellbeing & Culture
The Onward Shift newsletters were created to bring conversations around construction mental health, wellbeing and culture into the open. Built from lived experience, industry insight and honest reflection, each newsletter explores the pressures people face both on and off site from stress, burnout and loneliness to leadership, identity, inclusion and emotional wellbeing. This isn’t corporate box-ticking or surface-level awareness. It’s a growing collection designed to make workers, businesses and the wider construction industry feel seen, supported and less alone.
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# Newsletter 1 - Ears On The Ground
The reality of mental health in construction through our “Ears on the Ground” initiative from workers feeling scared to speak up to the pressure of always pretending to be OK, this newsletter looks at why real conversations matter onsite and what needs to change across the industry. Read the full newsletter and hear the voices too many people still feel forced to hide.
# Newsletter 2 - The Cost of Silence
The hidden cost of staying silent in the construction industry from workers fearing they’ll lose their job for speaking up, to burnout, stress and isolation becoming normalised, this newsletter explores why psychological safety and honest conversations matter more than ever onsite. Read the full newsletter to understand how silence impacts mental health in construction and why change starts with speaking up.
# Newsletter 3 - It’s Getting Worse. Not Better
The growing mental health crisis in the construction industry following the latest CIOB wellbeing statistics. With stress, anxiety, fatigue and suicidal thoughts all continuing to rise, this newsletter looks at the real pressures workers are facing on site and why simply talking about mental health is no longer enough. Read the full newsletter to understand what’s driving the decline in wellbeing across construction and why meaningful cultural change is urgently needed.
# Newsletter 4 - 251,500 More Workers by 2028?
The growing construction skills shortage asks a difficult but important question: how can the industry attract new workers when so many existing workers are already struggling? With stress, depression and burnout continuing to rise across construction, this newsletter looks at why retention, wellbeing and better workplace culture must come before recruitment targets. Read the full newsletter to explore the real cost of losing people from the industry and why mental health in construction can no longer be ignored.
# Newsletter 5 - Building Trust from the Ground Up
Why trust is one of the most important yet overlooked parts of creating healthier construction workplaces from poor communication and unrealistic deadlines to workers feeling unsafe to speak up, this newsletter looks at how broken trust impacts wellbeing, safety and team culture across the industry. Read the full newsletter to explore how honest conversations, better leadership and genuine listening can help rebuild trust in construction from the ground up.
# Newsletter 6 - Loneliness in Construction
The growing issue of loneliness in construction and how isolation can quietly impact mental health, wellbeing and everyday life on and off site from long hours and working away from home to unhealthy coping habits and the pressure to always appear “tough”, this newsletter looks at why loneliness in the construction industry deserves far more attention. Read the full newsletter to explore practical ways workers and businesses can create stronger connections, healthier routines and better support across construction.
# Newsletter 7 - It’s Time to Redefine “Man Up”
Challenging the outdated “man up” culture that still exists across the construction industry and explores how silence around mental health continues to cost lives from the pressure on men to hide emotion and push through struggles alone, to the importance of honest conversations and supportive workplace culture, this newsletter looks at what real strength actually means on site. Read the full newsletter to explore why redefining masculinity in construction could help more men speak up, seek support and stay alive.
# Newsletter 8 - Why Inclusion Can’t Wait
Why inclusion and psychological safety are becoming essential conversations within the construction industry from workers feeling unable to speak openly to the impact exclusion has on mental health, retention and site culture, this newsletter looks at how creating safer, more supportive workplaces can help people feel heard, valued and connected. Read the full newsletter to explore why inclusion in construction is about far more than diversity targets it’s about protecting wellbeing and building stronger teams.
# Newsletter 9 - Why Financial Wellbeing is a Safety Issue
Why financial wellbeing in construction is not just a money issue it’s a safety and mental health issue too from unpredictable work and rising living costs to stress, anxiety and distraction on site, this newsletter looks at how financial pressure affects workers both personally and professionally across the construction industry. Read the full newsletter to explore why open conversations around money, better support and reducing financial shame could play a vital role in improving wellbeing and safety on site.
# Newsletter 10 - Redefining Masculinity on Site
The pressure many men in construction still face to “man up”, stay silent and push through struggles alone from stress, burnout and isolation to the impact outdated ideas around masculinity can have on mental health and safety onsite, this newsletter looks at why the construction industry needs a healthier definition of strength. Read the full newsletter to explore how honest conversations, peer support and emotionally aware leadership could help create safer, stronger and more connected workplaces across construction.
# Newsletter 11 - Why We Need More Women in Construction
Creating a more inclusive construction industry means encouraging and supporting more women into the sector from challenging outdated stereotypes and improving workplace culture to addressing issues like poorly fitted PPE and psychological safety onsite, this newsletter looks at how greater diversity can strengthen communication, leadership and wellbeing across construction. Read the full newsletter to explore why building a healthier future for the industry means creating environments where everyone feels respected, supported and able to thrive.
# Newsletter 12 - Staff Retention, Mental Health & the Power of a Positive Construction Industry
The growing staff retention crisis in the construction industry and why mental health, workplace culture and better support are key to keeping people in the sector from apprenticeship dropouts and an ageing workforce to burnout, pressure and the loss of experienced workers, this newsletter looks at the real reasons construction struggles to retain talent. Read the full newsletter to explore how prioritising wellbeing, mentoring, diversity and healthier site cultures could help build a stronger future for the industry.
# Newsletter 13 - A Letter to Every Construction Worker
Personal letter to construction workers carrying the pressure, exhaustion and emotional weight that often goes unseen across the industry from long shifts and burnout to the silent expectation to always stay strong, this newsletter reflects on the mental health challenges many workers faced throughout the year while reminding them that their value goes far beyond the work they produce. Read the full newsletter for an honest, uplifting message about resilience, self-worth, rest and the importance of protecting your wellbeing in construction.
# Newsletter 14 - The Art of Saying No
The pressure many construction workers feel to always say “yes”, even when they’re already exhausted, overwhelmed or running on empty from staying late and taking on extra work to struggling with boundaries both on and off site, this newsletter looks at how people-pleasing, burnout and constant pressure can quietly impact mental health, wellbeing and safety in construction. Read the full newsletter to explore why learning the art of saying no is not selfish it’s an important part of protecting your energy, focus and long-term wellbeing.
# Newsletter 15 - How to Regain Control in 60 Seconds
A simple but powerful mental health tool that construction workers can use to regain control during stressful moments from pressure onsite and racing thoughts to stress, anxiety and emotional overload, this newsletter looks at how the 4-7-8 breathing technique can help calm the nervous system, improve focus and support wellbeing in construction. Read the full newsletter to explore how small, practical habits can make a real difference to mental health both on and off site.
# Newsletter 16 - Therapy Saved My Life
A deeply personal story about how therapy helped save a life and why seeking support should not carry stigma within the construction industry from struggling in silence and battling suicidal thoughts to learning tools for anxiety, emotional regulation and self-understanding, this newsletter explores the real impact therapy can have on mental health and wellbeing in construction. Read the full newsletter to explore why opening up, asking for help and understanding your mind is not weakness it’s one of the strongest things a person can do.
# Newsletter 17 - My Regular Mistake
The importance of slowing down, switching off and reconnecting with the world outside of work to support better mental health in construction from burnout, screen fatigue and constantly feeling “on” to the calming impact of nature, walking and being present, this newsletter looks at how simple moments away from pressure can make a real difference to wellbeing. Read the full newsletter to explore why protecting your mental health doesn’t always require complicated solutions sometimes it starts with stepping outside and giving yourself space to breathe.
# Newsletter 18 - Safety & Suicide in Construction
This edition of the Onward Shift newsletter explores the stark contrast between physical safety progress and the growing mental health crisis within the construction industry. While workplace fatalities have significantly reduced over the last 50 years, this newsletter highlights why suicide rates in construction remain alarmingly high and asks whether the industry is finally ready to treat mental health with the same urgency as health and safety. Read the full newsletter to explore why emotional wellbeing, suicide prevention and cultural change must become a core part of construction’s future not just an afterthought.
