Hayfield marks Mental Health Awareness Week 2021

Hayfield is marking Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 by bringing its construction workforce together to reflect on how much the industry is impacted by mental ill-health.

Taking place all this week until 16th May, the theme of this year’s campaign – which is led by the Mental Health Foundation – is Nature. Hayfield will be having socially distanced hearts and minds talks at each of its seven live developments to destigmatise the issues surrounding mental ill-health, reflect on the recent industry statistics, and encourage everyone to talk.

Andy Morris, Managing Director of five-star housebuilder Hayfield said: “Mental health awareness is something that I am passionate about supporting. Construction can be a high-pressured work environment and there is so much focus on safety, delivery, and in recent times keeping everyone COVID compliant with social distancing. Aside from the stereotypical tough guy image and the comradeship, it can be a challenging career path with many highs and lows. There can also be a lot of travelling and time away from family and friends.

“So much more needs to be done to recognise and reflect on matters such as stress, depression and anxiety. As a housebuilding business, Hayfield has an ongoing role to play in ensuring workplaces are supportive environments where people feel they can air and share their troubles. And for those who may need to access professional support or have some time out, we all have a considerable duty of care to ensure there is no stigma on returning back to work.”

The HSE has forecast that there are signs of an increase in work-related stress, depression and anxiety, exacerbated by the pandemic. Between 2017 – 2020, the estimated annual average of work-related cases of these matters was 21,000, which accounted for over a quarter of all ill-health in the construction sector.

Andy Morris added: “Our business is about people as much as it is about bricks and mortar. Fostering openness, sustainability, and respect are Hayfield’s key objectives. We value everyone and work as one team. We invest significantly in our people and their working environment by creating and maintaining a safe and healthy workplace and ensuring ongoing professional and personal development. We all strive to create construction and office-based workplaces in which there is mutual trust and respect.”

For information about the activities and resources available during Mental Health Awareness Week, visit: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week.