First, thank you to those who have already engaged in our 2022 survey. Your feedback is the key to becoming the preferred employer in our industry. To date, we have heard from 123 people and received 229 comments ... that's 21% completion. Please take 5-10 minutes before June 24th to complete the survey and submit your feedback.

Hopefully we all are getting time as summer begins to refresh with our family and friends and reflect on the first half of the year. Kids are out of school, pools are opening, and baseball is in full swing. I encourage all of us to plan now (maybe you already have) for time to breakaway and recharge. Why?

As noted in our recent DEI newsletter, mental health is a significant risk in our construction industry. The newsletter quoted a recent article stating that the rate of suicide in the construction industry is 4x higher than the general population.

At The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC) Leadership Conference a few weeks ago, we heard at least three speakers address the topic of mental health. The concern is great – one union leader stated that in a recent roundtable discussion with a group of union members, everyone at the table knew someone in the trades who had lost their life to suicide.

The Center for Construction Research & Training (CPWR) has a whole page dedicated to mental health resources. Among the resources:

• Toolbox talks on Workplace Stress and Suicide Prevention.

• Infographics and posters you can share.

• Videos, videos, and other training materials.

Our mental health challenges have also been exacerbated by the pandemic and the proliferation of social media. We are less connected today than ever before.

A couple of final thoughts.

We have a tool called Day X or Good Day. It’s a simple one page personal approach to delivering a good day. Using this tool allows you to visualize what a good day looks like, and then helps you setup your day to deliver it.

We have a tool called STOP work authority. It is simply a “see something, say something” tool. I encourage you to apply STOP in situations where you see a teammate = a brother or sister = struggling with mental health. Please care enough to STOP and intervene.

What other tools do we have to address our mental health challenge?

I look forward to spending time with us all on Thursday, June 23rd in our Q2 Employee Townhall, reflecting on our collective first half and answering questions that are important to you. Please join us.

— Jake