When I was five years old, my father passed away from an “accident.” It was nearly ten years later that I was told that he took his own life. That’s the way things were then — people simply did not talk about these things. In the decades since, there has not been a day that has gone by where I have not pondered the “what if” of this profound loss for my family. In recent years, I have wondered what it would be like to have the call display on my phone light up with the word “Dad.
There are a lot of resources to help safeguard and improve mental wellness, but not many of them are tailored to construction workplaces and workforces. And because the COVID-19 pandemic has taken such an enormous toll on people, families and their communities, ICBA is offering this new wellness program free to our member construction contractors and their employees.Article content
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety says only 23 per cent of Canadians feel comfortable talking to their employers about mental health issues. We want to help grow that number, especially in construction.