Workplace Health case studies by Pauline Mold

1. Helping businesses in Wales to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of their workforce
Pauline Mould
Workplace Health Practitioner
Public Health Wales

2. A Tale of 2 Fish

3. Case Study 1
• 2001-Laing O’Rourke UK's largest privately
owned construction company >100
workplaces in the UK - a mixture of
construction and infrastructure projects,
manufacturing facilities, plant depots and
offices
• Employs approximately 5,000 trades
people and operatives, along with a further
3,500 professional and office-based staff

4. Background
• Laing O’Rourke’s workforce is
disproportionately at risk of mental
health – why is that?
• Like the rest of the construction
industry vast majority of its
employees are male!

5. Why is that an Issue?
• Rate of suicide among men is more
than 3 x higher than women – with
the biggest group being men aged
45 to 59.
• Suicide is the leading cause of death
for men between 20 and 34 in
England and Wales

6. Partnership Working
• October 2015 partnered with MIND
• 180 managers have received mental
health awareness training.
• A new online mental health resource
centre has been created on the
company intranet

7. Partnership Working
• 4 February (Time to Talk Day) a dedicated
mental health ‘toolbox talk’ was launched
to the site-based workforce.
• Employee assistance provider also hosted
a special stress-management webinar for
staff
• Recruited a team of mental health
champions from across the business

8. Partnership Working
• May 2016, Laing O’Rourke signed the
Time to Change pledge
• Event was attended by 200 of its
project leaders and senior managers.
Joining them was CEO of Mind, Paul
Farmer
• Laing O’Rourke is among over 400
organisations to have signed the pledge

9. Top Level Commitment
• “Our industry has an issue with mental
health. There’s absolutely no doubt
about that. We’ve got to start talking
about it. Normalising it. Making it a
part of every-day conversation. It’s not
enough simply making our people
aware of the services available to them,
if they don’t feel comfortable accessing
it. They need to know that, if they need
it, the business will support them.”

10. Case Study 2
• Butler family have been building in North
Wales for 3 generations - that's nearly 100
years of tradition and experience
• October 2014 the company moved to
premises, with the ongoing growth of the
business took over the unit next door and
relocated
• Based in Garden city 8 trades staff , 2
admin staff and a number of subcontractors

11. Background
• Partnership Working
• Engaged with HWW December 2014
• Highlighted areas which had not
thought about before and signposted
organisation implement changes to
policies

12. Partnership Working
• Engaged with the workforce
more regularly and took on board
their suggestions and requests
• Regular team meetings and toolbox
talks also created an open
environment which allows employees
to feedback
• Appointed an employee
representative who is involved in the
Health & Wellbeing process

13. •Stress Policy which outlines the
Company commitment to the welfare of
employees.
•Stress risk assessment
•Stress control information and MIND
leaflets/posters displayed in staff room
and emailed to staff
•Open door policy
Partnership Working

14. Partnership Working
• Member of staff having family
problems outside work
• Owner agreed financial support, time
of for solicitor meetings and
reworking rotas when looking after
his children

15. Workplace Health Awards
Silver Small
Workplace Health
Award
Winners
July 2016
“Company is forward
looking and has a
number of excellent
practices”
“Example of how the business had
supported one of its employees
during a difficult time provided
strong evidence that the company
takes its responsibility in supporting
staff seriously”

16. Top Level Commitment
• Our staff feel there are more open
lines of communication if they feel
stressed about work or personal
issues.
• Throughout the process we were
supported by PHW and found the
process to be clear and easy to follow ,
the assessment day was very relaxed

17. Thank you for listening
– any questions?
Pauline Mould
Workplace Health Practitioner
T: 07580901806
E: pauline.mould@wales.nhs.uk