This construction company is on a mission to destigmatize mental health

Mental wellness support has become critical in all workplaces, but in high-stress industries, such as construction, employees are less likely to acknowledge they need help. Atlanta-based construction supply company White Cap is working to reverse this trend. 

Construction’s high-pressure, physically-demanding environment can take a massive mental toll: One study found 83% of those in the industry (the majority of which are men) have suffered from a mental health condition. Long hours, separation from family, chronic pain and extreme working conditions leave construction workers prone to increased risk of drug and alcohol abuse, and are also four times more likely to commit suicide than people in the general population, according to the CDC. 

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Following responses about mental health in their employee engagement survey, White Cap started a mental health employee resource group in March of 2023 to promote conversation and offer resources to its employee population of 10,000, which is spread out across 49 states. Attendance at the meetings started off with 300-500 employees and continues to increase. Employee feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. 

“Folks are saying, ‘This is amazing — I can’t believe we have a place to talk about mental health,'” says Ajay Patel, White Cap’s senior director of HR planning and operations, and co-chair of the ERG when it launched. “Right now, our attendance is about 50% corporate and 50% field; this year is going to be all about meeting more field folks and hopefully participation will grow even more.”

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The ERG’s employee leadership, which rotates annually, arranges expert-led sessions on topics like basic stress-relieving techniques, seasonal aspect disorder (SAD) and personal stories from leadership about their own mental health journeys. The session on SAD, which tackled the  adverse effects a lack of sun can have on peoples’ moods during the colder months, included employees sharing their personal learning experiences with seasonal mood changes. Company leadership’s involvement has also helped to further reduce the stigma many workers feel around speaking up or seeking help.

“We try to have a blend,” Patel says. “To hear from our leaders, to hear them be vulnerable, has been super impactful.” 

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The mental health ERG built upon White Cap’s existing benefits around overall well-being, such as healthcare, PTO, wellness coaching, tuition reimbursement, savings options and volunteer and fundraising opportunities. 

To reach a population that is not only spread across the country, but also often out in the field, communication methods vary: Mental health has become a part of branch meetings, information is sent via email or posted on a communal mental health page, and QR codes with links to resources are posted in common areas, such as outside of bathrooms. All of the ERG’s sessions as well as mental health podcasts and other resources are available on the company’s intranet so  they can be accessed at employees’ convenience. Anyone with questions about mental health benefits or resources can send an email to a designated company account.

“A few associates have reached out and said, ‘Hey, I’m struggling, where can I get help?”‘ Patel says. “We link up with an HR partner and very confidentially handle that situation.”

Coinciding with the start of its mental health ERG, White Cap launched its “Stomping Out the Stigma” campaign to further heighten mental health awareness and encourage anyone struggling to reach out for assistance, using their social media presence to spread the word. The ongoing effort lines up with their ERG’s mission statement, part of which is to “demystify the stigma that [mental health] carries…and provide a safe space for discussion and engagement.” 

“From our CEO to every warehouse worker, we all have our own story, our own pain, and we come to work with it,” Patel says. “We want to acknowledge that we’re all going through this human [experience] together. People sitting right next to you may be going through the same thing, you just don’t know it.”