The construction industry is known for its resilience, resourcefulness and results. But beneath the surface, many of our workers are struggling, often in silence.

The recent CIOB report, Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment, uncovered some stark and sobering realities. More than a quarter of construction workers surveyed told us they had experienced suicidal thoughts. Stress, anxiety and depression are alarmingly common, made worse by a culture that has not always made it easy to speak up or seek help.

This is not something we can ignore. We have a duty, as leaders, employers, colleagues and as a professional body, to step up and support the people who build the world around us.

That’s why the CIOB launched the Need to Talk campaign. It’s a simple idea with powerful intent: discreet on-site stickers, placed inside lockers and toilet cubicles, carrying a QR code that links directly to immediate mental health and wellbeing support services. They’re not branded with slogans or logos. They’re just there when someone needs them most.

Behind that QR code is a carefully curated list of expert organisations, from the Samaritans to CALM, Papyrus to Mates in Mind, accessible across the UK and with resources available for those outside the UK available through the CIOB Assist website. Since the campaign’s launch, we’ve distributed over 22,000 stickers to companies that requested them and have made printable versions available so employers can produce them locally too. Visits to our mental health support page have risen by 600%, a clear sign of both the demand and the difference this is already making.

I’m proud to see employers embracing the campaign and taking wellbeing seriously. Wernick Hire, for example, has been one of the first to embed Need to Talk into their workplace practices. Their commitment is a great example of leadership in action, the kind that helps shift culture, not just policy.

Mental health should not be a taboo. It should not be a hidden struggle. The Need to Talk campaign is just one of many steps we must take as an industry to create safer, more supportive workplaces. But it is an important one, because it starts a conversation where it’s needed most.

Let’s keep that conversation going. Let’s make sure no one feels alone on site, and that help is never out of reach. If you're an employer who’d like to support the campaign, or a professional who simply wants to do more, you can request stickers by emailing us at [email protected]. It’s a small step, but it might just be a lifesaving one.