Mel Baiser (they/them) is co-founder and director of vision and strategy at Helm Construction Solutions, a Brattleboro-based consulting firm that, as described on the company’s website, “work[s] with contractors and design-build firms “to help businesses thrive — with more resilient finances, a positive and inclusive work culture, and a more beneficial impact on the environment.”
BRATTLEBORO-Dear men in construction,
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, this letter is addressed to you.
We are vocal advocates of building inclusive workplaces and job-site cultures that attract and retain people from underrepresented groups, helping to ease our national labor shortage. We are equally committed to ensuring men in the trades have access to safe, dignified, and healthy workplaces.
Our sector is facing an unprecedented mental health emergency, and not enough people are talking about it.
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Tradesmen are struggling. The construction industry is still 96% cisgender men on job sites (88% when including office-based positions). It’s one of the most gender-segregated industries in the world.
Two-thirds of construction workers report experiencing anxiety or depression. Suicide rates in construction are more than four times the national average, with an estimated 5,000 workers dying annually by suicide.
Men in the trades are struggling at alarming rates. The culture and conditions of the construction industry are contributing to a mental health and substance use crisis.
What is driving the crisis? Construction has long been a predominantly male industry often characterized by a tough, macho culture that celebrates a grin-and-bear-it attitude while penalizing those who dare to veer from strict rules of masculinity.
Workplace injuries are the highest of any occupation, often leading to an over-prescription of opioid pain management. Tradespeople have a rate of substance use double the national average. We are seven times more likely to die of opioid-related overdoses than other workers and account for 25% of all fatal opioid overdoses nationally.
In our society and especially in the trades, there is a reluctance from men to ask for help and a stigma around seeking mental health support. Meanwhile, construction is a high-stress, high-risk occupation worsened by the labor shortage and a lack of skilled workers and training.
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Mental health in construction cannot be separated from the larger culture of discrimination and violence that exists across parts of the industry.
Just months ago, in 2025, 20-year-old female welder Amber Czech was brutally murdered by her 40-year-old male co-worker. Violence against minorities in construction is not new. Over 50% of women report incidents of harassment on the job site, and 31% have reported sexual assault while at work in construction; 76% of Black and 77% of Asian workers in construction report limited career progression due to their race. The actual number of incidents is likely higher because many workers fear retaliation.
Additionally, in our current political climate, Latino workers and others perceived to be immigrants (regardless of citizenship status) are under heavy threat of detainment and deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Many are afraid to show up to work.
The situation is so severe that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has a specific focus on construction, highlighting the pervasive discrimination in the industry, with the chair pointing out that “discrimination and harassment in construction can be especially harsh and virulent, including displays of nooses, threats, and physical harassment, and sometimes physical or sexual assaults.”
In an industry eager to attract and retain hundreds of thousands of new tradespeople to meet the demand, the day-to-day experience of those working in the built environment are in direct conflict with these goals.
Whether we are referring to the experience of underrepresented groups — women, LGBTQIA individuals, people of color, immigrants, people with differing abilities — or the white men who make up most of the trades, no group is fully benefiting from the status quo.
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It is not often that men, especially white men, are invited to lead around culture change. In fact, you are frequently criticized by others for taking up too much space and not sharing power. But as your demographic that makes up the vast majority of tradespeople in this industry, without your support, men, there can be no change.
Please consider this letter a plea for your active engagement and leadership in the transformation of the culture and conditions of our industry.
Statistics show that many workers in this sector are not thriving. The data, and my own 25 years in construction, demonstrate that many underrepresented groups in the trades continue to experience barriers, harassment, and violence in the workplace.
Construction is a wonderful occupation full of compassionate, hard-working, and innovative people. I have had the privilege of building professional relationships and lasting friendships with many men in this industry. For the safety and well-being of current and future generations of tradespeople, including your own self, I would like to invite you to take an active role in reshaping the future culture.
I’ve witnessed many men hold back from taking action because of fear of doing it wrong. Hesitation makes a lot of sense, but do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Here are some actions you can take to contribute to building a healthier environment in your company. If you want more support in developing or carrying out a plan or have other ideas to share with us, reach out: info@buildhelm.com.
What team members can do
• Educate and raise awareness about the mental health and substance-use crisis in the trades by sharing this letter, other resources, or stories that highlight these issues.
• Model healthy masculinity by showing vulnerability, asking for help, and talking openly about your own struggles and challenges (with consent from others, of course).
• Counter the stigma around mental health support by sharing your experiences with or other resources related to stress management, depression, substance use, or other mental health challenges.
• Check in with your team members who seem like they are struggling and encourage your company leadership to talk about mental health and substance use.
• Interrupt harmful behavior and language: Be the man on site who is willing to speak up when something biased or hurtful is said or done to anyone on site, including toward other men.
• Find ways to meet people with curiosity and nonjudgment while also being direct in your communication.
• Be an ally and advocate to those from underrepresented groups.
• Uphold best practices around safety and/or alert a supervisor if safety protocols are not being adhered to.
• Ask for what you need: If you feel overwhelmed, stressed, or under-resourced in your work, be proactive and bring it up with your supervisor or manager; if you are struggling with your own mental health, seek professional support or talk with a trusted friend. Challenge the culture of handling everything on your own in isolation.
What company leaders can do
•Create policies and procedures that support your team’s well-being, leveraging your authority to do so.
• Set the tone for your company culture by creating a work environment where team members feel safe talking about mental health or substance use without fear of repercussions, such as job loss.
• Ensure there is a completed and accessible employee handbook that outlines everything from your nondiscrimination policy to your zero tolerance for harassment; be clear about the process for reporting, and when possible, have human resources led by someone other than the owner.
• Consider including mental health resources in your employee handbook. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a good national resource and has additional resources and free mental health tools (samhsa.gov).
• Have clear job descriptions that outline agreements about responsibilities and define what success looks like in the role; establish best practices for performance reviews and team check-ins.
• Prioritize job-site safety, since occupational hazards often lead to opioid prescriptions.
• Provide education and supervisor training related to anti-bullying and anti-harassment, non-violent communication, strategies for navigating a mental health emergency and how to administer Naloxone (Narcan) when someone is experiencing an overdose.
• Provide translated support and materials for any team members who speak English as a second language.
• Be a recovery-friendly workplace. Avoid having company events at bars and/or centered around alcohol or other substances.
• Encourage your team to take advantage of Helm’s free and confidential monthly Recovery Construction Circle.
• Other important and direct ways to support employee mental health are benefits for team well-being, including health insurance, health reimbursement account (HRA), short- and long-term disability, employee assistance program (EAP), professional coaching, peer support or mentorship programs, paid sick leave, flexible work schedules, and recovery treatment support.
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Construction has always been an industry built by people ready to roll up their sleeves, solve complex problems, and look out for one another while working under harsh conditions. We need to lean into these core qualities to shape the future of this sector. Creating safer, healthier, and more inclusive workplaces is not about weakening the culture but ensuring that the people who construct our homes, buildings, and infrastructure can thrive while doing it.
Mental Health Awareness Month is a chance for us to move beyond awareness alone and commit to taking action. Regardless of your role or the number of years you have been in the trades, you can also influence the culture around you.
We especially need men to bring leadership to these efforts. Small actions like checking in on a team member, interrupting harassment, insisting on safe job sites, asking for help, or advocating for stronger policies and benefits can have a big impact.
The future of our industry depends not only on recruiting and training new workers, but on creating an occupation where people want to stay.
Lastly, to the many men already helping to lead the way, thank you.
This Voices Open Letter was submitted to The Commons.
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