Category: Blog

With chronic labour shortages and declining productivity, UK construction firms need to deliver better employee experience. But research suggests things are trending in the opposite direction. 

A recent poll found that 37% of workers feel their employee experience is worse than it was before the pandemic, with 53% feeling less motivated. This puts extra pressure on leaders to find novel solutions to their employees’ problems – one of which is improving on-site facilities.

In this article, we explore three ways our new EcoWC2 towable toilet block solves problems that harm employee experience on construction sites:

1. Increased comfort

Cramped, uncomfortable hygiene facilities are the norm on construction sites. In fact, one study found that 1 in 5 sites fail to meet legal requirements with their welfare facilities. This sends a clear message that employees’ safety and comfort is not a priority.

The EcoWC2 reverses this narrative. It provides separate XL, non-chemical, water system wash and changing facilities that not only ensure optimal hygiene, but provide a more comfortable experience for users. From coat hooks and air fresheners to non-slip chequer plate flooring.

2. Easy access and setup

Bringing most toilets onto your site requires Heavy Goods Vehicles or site access plans. This creates additional stress for site managers, but the EcoWC2 removes that stress.

The facilities are easily towable, making access and setup seamless on every construction site. Facilities can be placed wherever will be most convenient for workers, ultimately creating a more positive daily experience.

3. Minimised servicing time

The frequency of toilet service intervals – i.e., how often facilities require emptying of waste and refilling with water – is usually framed as a cost-saving factor. The less often you have to empty and clean the waste tank, the less you spend on things like transport. But there is another element to consider here: access to the facilities. 

Even relatively short periods where toilets are unavailable can have a negative impact on your staff, and the EcoWC2 ensures this is not an issue. It minimises service intervals through a combination of XL waste tanks and smart telemetry to monitor tank levels – delivering cost savings, carbon reductions and a better experience for employees.

Small Changes Make a Big Difference to Employees

At Welfare Hire, we believe improved equipment is one of the simplest and most effective ways of improving employee experience. Getting fundamentals like welfare units or on-site WC facilities right can have an outsized impact on everything from your carbon footprint to employee engagement and retention.

Want to learn about our full range of innovative welfare products?

In 2019, the construction industry was declared to be suffering from a ‘silent epidemic’ of mental health problems. Men working in the industry were 3x more likely to commit suicide than the average population¹, while 64% of employees said they wanted better mental health support from their boss².

Since then, there has been a huge effort to raise awareness and create more open on-site cultures. And in this article, we explore how the most recent research suggests leaders can keep moving things forward – and why mobile welfare units could be a key part of the answer.

Construction workers are still suffering

Mental health is still a major problem within construction. A survey conducted earlier this year found that 73% of UK builders experience mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression, every month, while nearly half (45%) experience symptoms on a weekly basis³.

Worse still, the stigma around mental health doesn’t appear to have faded. In 2021, just 5% of workers said they reported their mental health symptoms. Today, 92% say they feel uncomfortable discussing their symptoms with others. This suggests efforts to destigmatize mental health have led to just 3% more workers opening up about their struggles – and 27% still feel they can’t request time off work for mental health-related reasons⁴.

However, there are also signs that things are moving in the right direction. One study found that 53% of construction SMEs had increased mental health provisions for workers⁵. But perhaps most encouraging is work from researchers at the University of Warwick, who found that instantiating ‘Health Hubs’ had a marked positive impact.With a specialised space to have open conversations and rest, construction workers’ self-reported stress levels drop. “The Health Hub offered workers the space to have such conversations, in a more suitable environment than on a construction site,” one researcher explained. And while the data is preliminary, those that use the facilities more appear to have a greater reduction in stress, suggesting a causal relationship between the two⁶.

So how can we move things forward?

Construction leaders should look to the Warick researchers’ ‘Health Hub’ as a model for their sites. While specialised facilities like this may be out of budget, the study demonstrates that better on-site welfare spaces are effective for reducing stress and improving workers’ mental health.

At Welfare Hire, we know this from first hand experience. Our state-of-the-art mobile welfare units are designed specifically to create this kind of comfortable, safe space for employees to rest, recover and open up between gruelling shifts. With 20% more internal space, silent running from hybrid solar/battery, and improved hygiene facilities with a Smart Water system that ensures hot water is always available, they create a far more positive on-site dynamic than standard mobile welfare units. From taking essential breaks to opening up to your colleagues, many of the challenges construction workers face are really about making the right facilities available to them. And with our range of mobile welfare units, leaders can make a dramatic difference to their employees’ daily lives.

Want to learn how innovative mobile welfare units could change your site?

More than 2 million people in the UK suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – a form of depression caused by the darker months¹. As a result, construction sites often see a slump in morale as the days get shorter.

However, this dip in morale is not inevitable if you have the right tower lights. Here are three ways they can keep employee morale up during the winter months:

1. Keep sites safe

Employee morale often suffers due to a perceived increase to physical risk. With reduced visibility and wetter conditions, including ice and snow creating new trip hazards, workers are liable to feel their site becomes less safe during the darker months. And given that construction-related fatalities already increased 55% in the last reporting year², safety will be a particular concern this Autumn and Winter.

Tower lights help mitigate these risks and keep workers safe. The increased visibility site lighting unlocks helps assure that trip hazards are seen, collisions are avoided and workers feel confident that they are safe at all times.

2. Improve productivity

Just as extreme heat can delay construction projects, the harsher winter days can make it very difficult to get much done on a construction site. In fact, some estimates suggest that extreme cold can reduce productivity by 50%³. Lower productivity can lead to missed targets or delays to the projects – both of which take their toll on employee morale. 

That’s why LED tower lights are an essential tool for employee morale. By enabling work to continue when the sun has gone down, projects are able to recapture the losses they make on days when the weather is prohibitively cold. As a result, workers don’t feel the strain of stressed managers or tighter deadlines that would otherwise come with a productivity drop.

3. Create flexibility onsite

The single best way to boost employee morale is by giving them flexibility. And with daylight hours reducing, the window to deliver work outside in natural light becomes limited.

The solution is enabling work to be delivered safely and practically during darker hours, providing illumination from lighting towers for flexibility in working hours and schedules. Portable tower lights enable extended work hours and, subsequently, give employees the opportunity to fit work around their schedules – rather than the other way around. 

We believe this is a key factor in employee morale through the year, but it may be felt most during the darker months. And as a result, this Autumn and Winter are the perfect time for firms that don’t currently use LED tower lights to enable employee flexibility to start.

Never Settle For Second Best

At Welfare Hire, we believe innovative technology should serve every aspect of a construction project. That’s why we are dedicated to providing not only eco-friendly tower lights, but helping our partners use them to unlock a range of for their site – including boosting employee morale in the Winter.

Want to explore our full range of tower lights?

As the days get shorter, construction contractors across the country become more reliant on lighting towers. But with growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions at every level of the supply chain, are traditional diesel lighting towers fit for purpose?

Many contractors assume opting for eco-friendly alternatives will hit their bottom line – something many businesses simply cannot handle in the current economic climate. This is probably driven by reports that reaching net zero will cost $3.5 trillion each year.¹

But the reality is the transition needn’t be hard on all areas of business. Modelling carried out by Cambridge Econometrics has demonstrated that tackling the cost of living while simultaneously accelerating the UK’s low-carbon transition would create “win-wins”². And our research has shown that lighting towers are one of them.

The environmental case for eco-friendly lighting towers

To illustrate the environmental benefits of eco-friendly lighting towers, let’s compare Welfare Hire’s X-Eco HYBRID LITHIUM tower with a standard diesel model.

The X-Eco HYBRID LITHIUM uses lithium hybrid technology to power six 100W LED lights. This allows it to provide 455 hours of continuous light per refill and deliver 80% silent running.

The combination of efficiency and more environmentally friendly energy sources leads to dramatic reductions in CO₂ emissions. Based on the assumption that a site would run their units for 60hrs per week, each hybrid lighting tower produces a 288kg reduction each week; over a month, the savings reach 1135kg.

Our exclusive Eco Calculator quantifies how switching your lighting towers to eco-friendly alternatives will reduce your carbon footprint.

The economic case for eco-friendly lighting towers

The amount of fuel used in traditional lighting units is very large. From transporting the units to actually running them, these costs can hit contractors hard. This is only exacerbated by growing fuel prices.

Switching to eco-friendly lighting towers, therefore, presents an opportunity to save a great deal on the cost of fuel, as they require far less to run – and make it go a lot further.

Volumetric data from sites hiring our equipment has shown that every X-Eco HYBRID LITHIUM saves £108 per week in fuel costs – and £430 per month.

switching is easier than you think

These figures make clear the benefits of switching to innovative, eco-friendly lighting towers. But many contractors still assume that sourcing such towers must be difficult.

Welfare Hire ensures it is simple to make the switch. With market-leading customer service; inclusive maintenance and support; and 99.1% perfect hires, we have helped countless contractors introduce eco-friendly lighting towers.

If COVID-19 taught us anything, it’s that hygiene matters.

But most construction leaders still assume on-site facilities are simply a matter of Health and Safety (H&S) – not an opportunity to create competitive advantage. 

The truth is the hygiene facilities featured in innovative mobile welfare units and welfare vans create many benefits – way beyond simply keeping your staff safe.

Here are three key ways better hygiene facilities produce a meaningful improvement to your project:

1. Improve Your ESG

On-site facilities require regular servicing to and from the site. This might not seem like much, but these are the sort of easy-to-solve carbon emitting and water wastage practices which accumulate – and end up making a dent in your ESG score.

The average chemical toilet used on construction sites requires at least one weekly service, and doesn’t use recycled water. But this isn’t construction leaders’ only option.

The unique XL Smart Water  system built into our ECOWC2 towable toilet block and other welfare units boasts more than 3x more capacity. They typically take several weeks to fill, reducing the frequency of servicing trips – and therefore the carbon emissions your site is responsible for. 

Not only that: they also harvest rainwater to create a more sustainable system. Your site is not only responsible for less water usage but you can also report on the smart initiatives taken to make these incremental savings.

2. Improved Employee Experience

Imagine it’s your first day on a construction site: you go to wash your hands, and discover there’s no hot water. It’s a small factor, but over the course of a full work day – and a complete project – this starts to have a real impact on the general mood and morale on-site. 

Better facilities that run smoothly and provide plenty of room can therefore have a dramatic impact on employee experience. It signals to staff that they are valued, helping with general wellbeing, increased retention and loyalty.Improved hygiene also reduces the spread of disease and helps keep your staff safe. 68% of workers say that poor hygiene at work has made them sick and unable to do their job¹ – meaning improved hygiene leads to fewer sick days, higher morale and a more productive workforce.

3. Cost Savings

The cumulative costs of poor hygiene are staggering. One study found that employee sickness related to poor hygiene costs UK business more than £1.5 billion each year alone². As a result, improved on-site hygiene facilities are not just a question of ethics or responsibility to your employees – they are a near-guaranteed boost to your bottom line.

Between fewer sick days from employees, less money spent on services and higher retention of staff, the cost savings attributable to improved on-site hygiene facilities start to add up. But how much could your specific site save?

Welfare Hire Measures Your Gains

Welfare Hire offers a range of innovative mobile welfare units fitted with Smart Water systems that improve you ESG, employee experience and bottom line. In fact, our Eco & Social Value Calculator allows you to estimate the exact savings you’ll make by switching to Welfare Hire products:

Want to learn how our ECOWC2 towable toilet block and other welfare units could improve your project?

Few things are more universally associated with work than coffee. Roughly two-thirds of workers regularly drink coffee at work, and coffee breaks have been a standard part of most workplaces since the early 1900s.¹

Every day, construction workers across the country climb into their mobile welfare units and drink coffee. But according to research, they’re not just enjoying the spacious setting – they’re doing something actively beneficial to your business.

Here are four ways regular coffee breaks help construction sites thrive:

1. Problem solving

We all know the feeling: you can’t figure something out, so you take a coffee break. And when you come back to the problem, the answer is suddenly just there. But there is now actual scientific evidence to support this. 

Just 10 minutes of downtime increases the likelihood an individual will come up with innovative insights². Coffee breaks give workers an opportunity to stop thinking about work, which is often when the best solutions and ideas appear.

Put simply: coffee breaks an essential tool for construction sites that need more creativity.

2. Social connections

Few things are more important for construction sites than social connections. From improving employee mental health to building better team dynamics, the benefits of increased social connection are numerous – and coffee breaks are a vital part of that. 

81% of workers say coffee breaks help them forge stronger relationships with their colleagues³. With the right mobile welfare unit to provide space and comfort, teams can share a drink and get to know each other better.

Put simply: coffee breaks are a vital social glue for construction workforces.

3. Employee health

Health and safety are among the biggest concerns for construction workers. While coffee may not appear an obvious factor here, there is a surprisingly large body of research suggesting coffee does have positive health effects.

A meta analysis from the BMJ reports that coffee is “beneficial for almost everything, as long as you’re not pregnant.⁴” Which means simply taking a few coffee breaks in a mobile welfare unit each day actually helps improve your employees’ health.

Put simply: coffee breaks help support a healthy lifestyle for construction workers.

4. Improve cognitive performance

Most coffee drinkers certainly feel their morning coffee helps them think better. But the scientific consensus suggests it’s not just drinking coffee – though that does increase alertness and physical energy. ⁵

Instead, much of the perceived benefit of drinking coffee is tied to rest. Coffee breaks allow workers to “reset”, which supports both concentration and engagement. As a result, their cognitive performance improves, productivity increases and they are less likely to make a mistake onsite.

Put simply: coffee breaks help your workers stay sharp and switched on.

Welfare Hire Supports Better Coffee Breaks

While coffee breaks are positive in-themselves, workers still need a good space to take them in. Many welfare units are simply too small to fit a full team. But with extra-large internal space and comfortable seating, Welfare Hire’s range of mobile welfare units are the perfect setting for a coffee break. We even supply the coffee with our kitchen Welcome Packs as standard too!

Want to learn how our welfare units could improve your site?

Measurement is an essential part of any effective carbon reduction strategy. From improving your ESG score to reaching net zero, leaders must know how each procurement decision impacts their environmental goals.

But what kind of data should you look for? And how can you be confident it is accurate?

At Welfare Hire, our mission is not simply to supply the best fleet of mobile ECO welfare units and tower lights – we want to build lasting relationships with our customers based on trust. And that is why we’re so excited to announce our recent accreditation from Sustainable Advantage.

An intelligent approach to Sustainable Advantage

Sustainable Advantage are industry leaders for ESG due diligence in the infrastructure, energy and waste sectors. They have particular expertise in carbon handprint reporting and data validation, assessing industry vendors’ claims about their products’ carbon emissions.

This made them the perfect candidate to independently verify Welfare Hire’s empirical data – and provide an impartial judgement for our partners to refer to.

And the verdict is…

Through a rigorous due diligence process, Sustainable Advantage analysed ​​Welfare Hire’s empirical volumetric data recorded on the performance of their mobile ECO welfare units and benchmarked it against other eco welfare units in the market. 

Here is what they had to say:

“Sustainable Advantage are pleased to be able to verify Welfare Hire’s carbon handprint. The calculations demonstrate to customers that by choosing Welfare Hire products, significant emissions are saved, resulting in a reduced environmental impact.”

Michael Warwick, Head of Net Zero

This should come as no surprise: with empirical data amassed from the recording of actual volumetric data for our units across hundreds of thousands of real project days, Welfare Hire is in a unique position to offer the most robust and qualified volumetric data in this field. But having this fact independently verified by such a respected organisation helps qualify the integrity and value in this.

Moving forward with confidence

We believe this accreditation will be a positive moment for the core infrastructure sectors we operate in. The ability to source strategic equipment like mobile welfare units and tower lights with full confidence that they will improve your ESG score should inspire more decisive action towards net zero – which is a core part of what Welfare Hire exists to deliver.

Our Eco Calculator is a vital tool for any contractors or clients looking to improve their ESG score, reduce their carbon emissions or gain clarity on what using our equipment would mean for their project:

Want to start meeting your ESG goals faster?

The window for a smooth transition to net zero is closing fast. That’s according to the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change¹, which warns that environmental risks are increasing more quickly than scientists previously expected. 

Recording-breaking weather events are becoming more common – just look at Europe’s recent spate of extreme heat waves. Such events will continue to affect supply chains and drive public demand for more decisive action. 

But what does this mean for the UK’s construction firms in the short-term?

Companies face greater scrutiny

Construction has made huge efforts in recent years. Firms have been under extreme pressure to change their operating models to reduce carbon emissions, and recent reports suggest the majority have made strong progress².

This is down to a number of key factors – from widespread efforts to increase the use of renewables to the introduction of carbon-saving strategic equipment like mobile welfare units and mobile tower lights. 

However, the revelation that climate change is accelerating can only increase the pressure on construction firms. A recent pledge to eliminate 78% of diesel from construction by 2035³ is positive news, but many argue this is not enough. One report earlier this year claimed that the UK had “lost a decade” in its battle against climate change – and construction must act fast to catch up.

Net zero goals won’t change – but firms must

The current net zero deadline of 2050 is unlikely to change. This doesn’t mean the pressure to decarbonise will not increase though. With some firms already claiming they will reach net zero in the next few years⁴, the commercial and reputational damage of not acting will soon become clear.

This could manifest in multiple ways, including:

• Losing out on government contracts, as net zero firms are treated preferentially
• Rising costs, as experts warn of future taxes on carbon emitting supply chains⁵
• Lack of investment, as measurable progress on ESG is increasingly expected

The question is no longer whether construction leaders will respond to reports of climate change acceleration – it’s how they can do so faster than competing firms.

3. Three ways to respond to climate acceleration

1. Focus on measurement

As Richard Robinson, deputy co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council, says: climate progress is made through measurement⁶. Leaders need to quantify their current emissions and understand exactly how each change to their strategic approach will affect their environmental impact. This is especially important for avoiding offshoring of emissions via tier 3 suppliers.

At Welfare Hire, we’ve created a useful tool to enable such quantification. It offers a transparent measure of the effect each of our mobile welfare units and mobile tower lights will have on your emissions:

2. Scrutinise your vendors

From the materials you use to the mobile welfare unit on your site, the supply chain is construction’s achilles heel when it comes to carbon emissions. Leaders must carefully scrutinise every vendor they work with, and ask them how they are planning to reduce their own emissions.

Wherever possible, leaders should opt to partner exclusively with companies that are able to offer clear readings on their products’ emissions. This will make planning far easier, and enable you to map out a faster path to net zero.

3. Find strategic partners

Climate change acceleration demands faster net zero efforts. But for most firms, this will only be possible with innovation. Staying on top of cutting-edge technology trends is challenging though, especially across the numerous areas that impact construction firms’ emissions. 

Strategic partners like Welfare Hire are therefore vital. We pride ourselves not only on supplying our customers with eco-friendly mobile welfare units and lighting towers, but keeping them abreast of changes in the industry – and making sure they benefit from every new innovation that comes to market.

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