US contractor Turner Construction will invest $5m in the mental health of its 13,000 workers.
The company says the programme, run in association with its charitable foundation, will last five years and cover around 1,000 projects.
Turner said mental health was as important as physical safety.
The initiative comes at a time when more and more workers are needed to meet market demand.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 5,000 people working in construction die by suicide each year. The agency says construction occupations have the highest rate of suicide, and the highest number of suicides across all occupational groups.
Challenging stigma
Efforts to address mental health have proved difficult because of the stigma it carries, which physical injuries or disease don’t.
To address this, Turner says its project teams across the US are engaging in “open, honest conversations about emotional well-being”, as part of the largest ”safety week” in the company’s history.
“These conversations are reinforcing a culture where people are encouraged to speak up, support one another, and recognise that emotional wellness is vital to staying safe, strong, and connected,” Turner said.
Turner chief executive Peter Davoren said the company was “committed to building a workplace where every team member feels safe and supported”.
Turner’s programme is focused on supporting the well-being of their teams, creating a culture of respect and inclusion, reducing stigma and raising awareness.
Newsweek recently named Turner one of America’s best workplaces for mental well-being.
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