Why the construction industry urgently needs to address inclusive welfare facilities on site
The industry is under pressure. With an aging workforce, attracting more talent, with greater diversity is more important than ever before. However, this is only half of the battle. We also need to retain this broader talent, by creating working environments where they feel safe, valued and want to stay.
Whereas the traditional office environment is often well considered in terms of its effect on employee well-being and productivity, on-site welfare facilities are commonly an afterthought, yet these are central to life on site, and are spaces where people spend a significant part of their working day.
For example, for a study ‘A Building For The Builders: What is the Value of the Welfare Facility?’ by Mackenzie-Thompson for the CIOB, 66% of those questioned stated that the welfare facility was “very important/ essential” to them.
Encouragingly, we are seeing more customers increasingly exploring Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), when discussing their site accommodation and welfare facilities needs. In fact, this is playing a far more important role in their recruitment and retention strategies. They are moving beyond basic welfare provision, and focussing far more on the experience of the people using the environments.
Hygiene, accessibility, ventilation, increasing natural light and reducing noise levels are becoming more important, in a holistic and best practice approach. As are gender-based welfare facilities, multi-cultural toilets, well-equipped rest areas and spaces for neurodiverse operatives, as well as well-being rooms to help support a positive and proactive approach to mental health strategies.
And not without reason. The UK charity MIND acknowledges 1 in 4 people in England alone experience a mental health problem each year, and that construction workers are more likely than average to experience work related stress and other mental health issues. National Highways and University of Leeds research (2025) also found that targeted D&I interventions could improve job satisfaction by up to 42%, reduce turnover intention by 21% and potentially save a major infrastructure project around £236,000 annually in replacement costs.
It’s therefore hard to deny the potential contribution thoughtfully designed welfare facilities could make to morale and overall well-being. An inclusive site is no longer viewed as a ‘nice to have, it is increasingly seen by many principle contractors as a business and project performance issue.
Whether it is for a small number of people or a workforce of thousands, the reasons to incorporate inclusive welfare environments are compelling. They can positively contribute to a contractor’s EDI strategy, attract scarce labour, comply with regulations and improve the environment and experience for an increasingly diverse construction workforce. When this happens, it can result in higher engagement, stronger retention and improved productivity from a far happier and healthier workforce.
Given just how much the construction industry talks about attracting new talent, the question is – when will we see this issue addressed on the far larger scale needed?
