How do you address harassment, bullying, and discrimination in the workplace? That was the challenge we faced when partnering with Staticus, a leading construction company, to tackle these issues in the industry.
The construction sector is exceptionally sensitive to mental health challenges, with a suicide rate nearly four times higher than other sectors. To address this, Staticus took the initiative to create a system for safely and discreetly reporting and tackling unhealthy behaviour.
They approached us, an ad agency specialising in ESG and employer branding communication, to develop an awareness and social impact campaign in order to engage their employees in the program. As the strategic and creative partner for the campaign, we at Children contributed to shaping its messaging and visual identity.
Objectives
- First, we aimed to help employees recognise toxic behaviour in themselves and others.
- Equally important, we sought to encourage them to adopt healthier practices.
Communication Challenges:
- Stigma: In an industry where toughness is often seen as a strength, seeking help is frequently perceived as a weakness. In some cases, it can even lead to increased bullying or discrimination. Overcoming this stigma was a key challenge.
- Low Emotional Awareness: Addressing sensitive topics in a way that promotes positive change was difficult given the audience’s sometimes low emotional awareness. In some cases, bullying and discrimination among coworkers might be perceived as humour rather than unhealthy behaviour.
- Brand Consistency vs. Engagement: We had to align with the brand’s guidelines while avoiding overly formal language and visuals that could fail to capture employees’ attention and engage them.
- Multilingual Markets: Conveying a unified message in English and Lithuanian while finding expressive and visual language that resonated across the UK, Scandinavia, and Lithuania was a significant challenge.
Communication Strategies We Applied:
- Reframed Seeking Help as Strength: By presenting seeking help as a sign of strength, we helped normalise these conversations and reduce stigma.
- Identified Common Workplace Situations: We focused on well-recognized work situations and cultural humour to address sensitive topics in a relatable way.
- Used Simple Language: To avoid dismissal, we employed straightforward language and avoided complex mental health terminology.
- Showed Consequences Without Moralising: We highlighted the consequences of unhealthy behaviour while avoiding a moralising tone, focusing instead on practical impacts.
- Incorporated Engaging Illustrations: We used illustrations to make the campaign more engaging and visually appealing instead of corporate presentation.
The campaign is still ongoing, normalising mental health conversations and showcasing Staticus’s strong commitment to employee well-being.
Additionally, our strategic and creative work at Children earned the campaign a nomination for one of the most creative social responsibility solutions at the ADC*LT Festival.
How Wisely Chosen ESG Goals and Communication Benefit Business
Recognizing the high employee suicide rates in the industry, Staticus seized the opportunity to address this issue, with the aim of creating a healthier work environment and gaining a competitive edge as an employer.
Here’s how focusing on sensitive workplace issues translates into business advantages:
- Builds Employee Loyalty: Fostering a more positive work environment makes employees feel valued and safer, as well as increases productivity, and engagement. This leads to increased employee loyalty and greater motivation to recommend the company to peers.
- Reduces Employee Turnover: In the construction industry, unhealthy work culture significantly contributes to high turnover rates, which ends in substantial financial and operational costs. These include productivity losses, low employee morale, increased recruitment costs, and potential damage to client relations. Improving the work culture and reducing turnover helps mitigate these issues.
- Attracts Potential Employees and Top Professionals: Prioritizing employee well-being makes the company more attractive to individuals seeking a healthy and respectful work culture. This approach helps attract top talent and positively impacts overall employee morale.
- Builds Competitive Advantage: In the competitive construction industry, where there is a high demand for skilled workers, commitment to a healthy work environment makes the company a preferred choice for top talent. This focus also leads to increased service quality and productivity, contributing to the growth of their client base.
- Sets an Example: By incorporating mental health into their ESG goals, Staticus sets an example of how a company can prioritize its workforce’s well-being while creating a more sustainable, ethical business. The hope is that campaigns like this will inspire other industries to take similar action, ultimately creating healthier, more supportive work environments across the board.
Staticus’s mental health campaign exemplifies how ESG goals, particularly in the Social pillar, can go beyond regulatory requirements to enhance business outcomes.