Improving the mental health and wellbeing of building and civil engineering workers : barriers to flexible working

Despite the growing research on mental health and wellbeing (MHW) in construction, very little research (if not none) has examined the barriers to strategies such as flexible working arrangements that improve MHW in the construction industry. This research aims to fill this gap in knowledge. The research adopted a systematic literature review where relevant literature was critically reviewed and discussed. The main findings include the high level of diversity in the industry, which makes it challenging to have a flexible working system that meets the work-life balance of construction workers and improve their mental health. Large contracting firms are more likely to adopt formal flexible work arrangements because they have more resources than smaller companies, but micro contracting forms are most likely to adopt the informal flexible work arrangements. Further barriers are the nature of the roles of the practitioners, for example, construction professionals are more likely to be allowed to adopt flexible work system than the tradespersons; Collaborative project delivery arrangement supports flexible work arrangement more than the traditional method. National policies or legislation in some countries such as UK and Vietnam do not adequately support work-life balance strategies such as flexible working; for instance, the regulation in the UK is open to misinterpretation and creates room for employees’ exploitation by employers. Evidence shows that this is the first study to examine the barriers to MHW in the construction industry through a flexible working arrangement. There is a need for a shift in workplace culture to support such strategies and the need for tighter legislation and guidance.