Skanska boosts mental health support for employees 

Skanska has partnered with healthcare company Maximus to provide mental health support for its UK employees. 

Maximus supports employers through its Access to Work Mental Health Support Service. 

The service provides a package of free mental health workplace support to employers, including wellness recovery action plans and expert guidance on workplace adjustments.  

As part of the service, Maximus will work with Skanska to deliver webinars, training and workshops across its UK sites. Topics include prevention of burnout, suicide awareness, PTSD awareness, and links between physical and mental health. 

Kaylena Mushen, partnerships lead for the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service at Maximus, said: “Research shows that people working in the construction industry can be disproportionately affected by mental health problems, with stress, depression, or anxiety accounting for 27% of all work-related illness in this predominantly male sector.  

“Our partnership with Skanska ensures that their UK employees gain access to confidential, work-centred support. We hope that the partnership will help to underline the importance of mental wellbeing within the construction sector.”  

The Access to Work Mental Health Support Service is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. The service provides nine months of confidential one-to-one work-centred support for individuals struggling with their mental health. The includes coping skills and reasonable adjustments in the workplace – helping individuals to return to, or remain in, work.   

Megan Taylor, head of occupational health and wellbeing at Skanska UK, said: “Employees can feel overwhelmed when coping with poor mental health, and we feel that more can be done to support them.  

“Through our partnership with Maximus, Skanska will lead the way in provision of workforce mental health support within the construction sector. Good work is good for health, and the support offered by Maximus can only benefit those that need it.”  

Mental health support and advice for CIOB members, past members and related family is available through CIOB Assist. CIOB, in partnership with Anxiety UK, also provides wellbeing support.