We must put wellbeing at the heart of our ‘new normal’

Melissa Barber is head of marketing and communications at Beard

UK construction has suffered since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, with disruption to supply chains, fluctuating productivity rates, and the logistics of working within government restrictions.

While these impacts have rightly led the headlines, the challenges to colleague wellbeing over the past 18 months have been just as significant.

Public Health England data shows that the number of people suffering from depression and loneliness has spiked, while insights from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that, in April, measures of personal wellbeing hit the lowest ebb seen since the start of the pandemic.

Health, safety, and wellbeing is now a focal point for contractors in the industry, and many will have proactively focused on employee wellbeing throughout the virus crisis. As the first lockdown was announced, the short-term priority was to ensure businesses could simply keep the lights on and for construction firms to keep sites open. But with these challenges came opportunities: organisations were handed the chance to adopt new ways of working.

Collaboration is key

A colleague survey Beard carried out during the first full lockdown in 2020 highlighted the importance of visible leadership, communication, and the feeling of being connected and part of a community. For many, the social aspect of coming to work every day is crucial.

“Many will be discovering that their people want the option of a balance between office and home working”

Digital collaboration tools have been key in fulfilling this social need, and companies have been turning to Microsoft Teams, Zoom and WhatsApp – at Beard, we have also launched Yammer as an in-house social media platform. These have enabled firms to stay connected with colleagues and offer support through all three national lockdowns.

A sound IT architecture and infrastructure has been paramount, which is why it’s important for firms to invest heavily in this area, which will have enabled them to be more home-based and allow remote working virtually overnight.

The hybrid-working era

So what will happen now, as restrictions are lifted?

Like Beard, many will be discovering that their people want the option of a balance between office and home working. Because of this, it is highly likely that we will see a flexible, hybrid adaptation of the two going forward. We also need to appreciate that one size will not fit all. Businesses will need to have honest conversations with their employees around work styles and flexibility that works for the individual, the team, and the business.

“Construction must be willing to be guided by employees as we face the challenges still to come in 2021 and beyond”

Businesses will need to create an environment for people to thrive and be their best. Cultures need to be based on trust, performance, and output. We must not forget that while businesses adapted to the unprecedented changes made in 2020, employees also faced seismic changes in their daily lives.

Employee wellbeing must continue to be in front of mind as we hopefully move closer to a new normal in 2021. There are certain social elements of the traditional workplace that remote working simply cannot replace, particularly in the construction industry where many employees are site-based.

There are also benefits of remote working that office working cannot compete with, such as reduced time spent commuting, which can translate to more time with family.

It is my belief that the way forward is a balanced approach, with employee wellbeing at the crux of all decision-making processes. Longer term, as more businesses move back to offices, they should provide a social infrastructure, and serve as places for innovation and collaboration.

The right culture

Remote working has long been viewed with suspicion in business, and in the past was often seen to be synonymous with low productivity. Had the virus not triggered a shift on such a global scale, it could have taken us years to update our attitudes on remote working. It is now more widely recognised that with the right culture, structure and tools, flexible working can benefit employee wellbeing and business productivity alike.

Research has shown that a happy workforce is a productive one. Knowing this, it is vital employees get the support and flexibility they need as we transition from this period of enforced home working to truly flexible, hybrid working model.

Construction must be willing to be guided by employees as we face the challenges still to come in 2021 and beyond.