Most of us will face mental health issues at some point in our lives, whether it’s personal or through someone close to us, including colleague. Often the signs aren’t obvious. Sometimes we don’t even recognise them in ourselves.
“I couldn’t sleep, I was exhausted, getting maybe three hours a night, and still trying to function at work,” recalls Tom Wavre, segment lead, senior marketing manager at KONE. This was some years ago, but at the time, he didn’t think it was a mental health issue, he just couldn’t sleep.
“If you don’t talk, people around you won’t know,” says Wavre, who describes opening up first to a doctor and then to his manager as a turning point. “A manager doesn’t need to be a therapist; they just need to care and that can make all the difference.” For Wavre, it lifted a huge emotional load and gave him space to start recovering.
Outcomes like these don’t happen by accident. At KONE, this culture of care is built every day through empathy, supportive leadership, and peer networks that make it okay to not be okay.
Watch a video with Tom Wavre talking about the importance of speaking up. You can also find it on top of this page, just click the play icon.
Under the weight of a hard hat
Mental health struggles are more common than we realise, especially in the male-dominated, high-pressure construction industry. On site, long hours, tight deadlines, a macho culture, and everyday uncertainties can quickly lead to burnout. Yet even in 2025, discussing mental health at work remains difficult, and construction continues to rank among the highest-risk industries for suicide around the world.
Recognising the urgent mental health challenges across the construction industry, KONE is taking a leadership role by collaborating with other companies and advocating for change globally.
“There’s this unspoken pressure to be tough and just get on with it,” says Pat Weil, new building solutions director, with a long history in the UK construction industry. “Failure is feared and admitting you’re struggling can feel like weakness.”
With nearly four decades at KONE, Weil has seen the difference that strong, human-centred leadership can make, especially on construction sites.
“Authenticity is key,” he says. “The worst thing a manager can do is ask someone how they are and not mean it. When leaders genuinely care, it creates space for others to speak up.”
Building support from within
At KONE, one of the most powerful tools for change hasn’t come from policies or campaigns, but from colleagues simply showing up for each other. That’s also the idea behind Thrive, KONE’s global employee-led mental health Employee Resource Group, which Wavre helps lead. The growing Thrive community regularly brings together hundreds of KONE employees all around the world. Together, the members plan different activities like on-site events and webinars to create a culture where everyone can thrive, stay healthy, and feel comfortable to seek and receive support for mental health.
“We’re just employees with day jobs, volunteering because we care. That’s what makes Thrive powerful – it’s peer-to-peer, not top-down.”
But the stigma of mental health still appears to run deep across the industry. Dr. Kristina Aurelius, a psychologist and associate professor at the University of Gothenburg, recently led a qualitative study exploring mental health, suicide, and working conditions in the Swedish construction industry. She and her team interviewed 43 people across roles, from site workers and line managers to union representatives.
“We weren’t sure they’d talk about something so sensitive, but they did,” Aurelius says. “And that, in itself, was encouraging.” The study found that stigma is still widespread, but it also revealed signs of a cultural shift, with younger Gen Z workers and a growing number of women coming into the field.
The pivotal role of managers
One of the study’s most striking findings, according to Aurelius, was how many workers simply didn’t know where to turn if they were struggling. “Some saw occupational health as a resource for the employers and not for them. Others who asked were denied access, which felt like a message: You’re not worth it.” In one case, a worker who asked for help was told to wait until after the project deadline. “A manager saying, ‘not now’ can send a devastating message,” Aurelius explains.
The study reinforced well-known risks in construction: social isolation, hazardous environments, chronic pain from heavy labor, and the long-term use of painkillers or alcohol to cope. The study also showed just how pivotal the role of the line manager can be.
“There were truly moving examples of managers stepping in and helping someone through a crisis. But there were also stories where early signs were ignored – with tragic consequences.”
Aurelius believes one of the most powerful ways to challenge mental health stigma is through visible role models – people in trusted positions who have struggled and recovered. “It takes courage, but when someone respected says, ‘I went through this, and I’m okay now,’ it can change the culture of a whole team,” she says.
At KONE, Wavre exemplifies this shift. By choosing to speak openly about his own experiences, he’s helped normalise the conversation for others, showing that it’s safe to take that first step.
“Talking doesn’t guarantee a life will be saved, but it can,” he says. “And in construction, where suicide rates are high, that conversation could be everything.”
Knowing where to seek help
At KONE, several support initiatives are in place to help employees, no matter where they are in the world. For example, the company offers Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) with 24/7 confidential counselling in 47 countries and aims to aims provide similar support for every employee. These services are free, anonymous, and don’t require manager approval. KONE has also created localised resource sheets for more than 50 countries to ensure employees are aware of the support and can find it easily.
“You don’t need permission,” Wavre says, “The EAP is anonymous and free, and it’s there for you when you’re ready.”
For Weil, making mental health part of the on-site daily rhythm is key. His quarterly Safety stand downs bring more than a hundred employees together virtually to talk not only about physical risks, but emotional ones too.
“It’s good to talk about it in a big forum,” he says. “Everyone gets more comfortable when they hear it discussed openly.” Weil also points out that mental health has featured heavily in his last two quarterly sessions. A sign that it’s no longer just an occasional focus but an expected part of health and safety conversations.
Support can come from programs and resources, and at KONE these initiatives are expanding. But most often, it starts with each other. As Weil puts it: “The more you talk about it, the less you need first aiders. Sometimes, all you need is a mate.”
7 tips for making mental health support easier at work
- Start the conversation: Managers can lead by example – simply saying, “My door is always open if you want to talk,” signals that support is available.
- Make information visible: Display posters, notices, or digital screens with available helplines and occupational health groups, and instructions on how to reach them.
- Offer more than one way in: Not everyone feels comfortable talking to their manager. Encourage reaching out to colleagues or anonymously to an external support group.
- Keep training sessions short and practical: Employees rarely have time for long sessions. But a one-hour talk, a team check-in, or a quick toolbox session can plant a seed.
- Highlight role models: When someone respected, like a foreman, a site manager, or a long-time team member, opens up about their own struggles and recovery, it helps others feel less alone.
- Normalise the ups and downs: Mental health isn’t a weakness – it’s something everyone has. Like physical health, it can change over time.
- Frame support as strength: In male-dominated workplaces, showing concern for a teammate isn’t soft. It’s a sign of leadership. Looking out for each other is part of working in a team.