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Build & Thrive
Build & Thrive is the podcast transforming occupational health and wellbeing in the construction industry. Hosted by Jennie Armstrong, founder of Construction Health & Wellbeing, each episode features inspiring conversations with experts and change-makers dedicated to creating a healthier, happier workforce.
Hear interviews with inspirational individuals and experts who are leading the way in tackling the industry’s toughest challenges, from staggering health statistics to skills shortages and talent retention. Did you know construction workers are nearly 4 times more likely to take their own lives through suicide than workers in other industries? Or that they’re 100 times more likely to die from work-related health issues than safety incidents?
It’s clear we need to do more. Built to Thrive is here to spark change, celebrate innovation, and inspire action for a brighter future in construction.
Join us for real stories, practical advice, and the latest in health and wellbeing strategies for the construction sector. Subscribe now on your favourite podcast platform, and follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube to stay updated. Together, we can make construction a place where everyone can thrive.
Build & Thrive
The Manager’s Role: Behaviours That Protect Mental Health with Jo Yarker
In this episode of Build & Thrive, Jennie Armstrong is joined by Jo Yarker, Professor of Occupational Psychology and Co-Managing Partner at Affinity Health at Work, to explore what it really takes to improve mental health in the workplace.
Together they unpack why many organisations are still stuck at “awareness”, and what a more practical, evidence-based and preventative approach looks like in construction. Jo shares insights from research and real-world consultancy on psychosocial risk, line manager behaviours, how to choose wellbeing products without wasting budget, and why implementation and evaluation matter as much as good intent.
What we cover:
- Why workplace mental health efforts often stall at awareness, and how to shift into prevention
- How construction can apply risk management thinking to psychosocial and mental health risks
- The line manager behaviours that reduce stress, support return to work, and improve retention
- Why inconsistency from managers can be more damaging than getting it wrong occasionally
- How to choose wellbeing tools and services based on evidence, not gloss
- What meaningful evaluation looks like, and how organisations can prove what is working
Jo also shares a powerful perspective on the role of senior leaders, clients, and project-wide consistency, plus what is coming next from Affinity, including new frameworks to support wellbeing professionals and better research engagement across industry.
🎧 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431164 (or search your podcast app)
📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEoibJLDuFnnT3qSQw37LKPG6xlyvCj7B
🔹 Thank you to our sponsor, GKR Scaffolding, for supporting this series and helping us share our mission of improving health and wellbeing in construction.
Episode Links:
Jennie Armstrong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniearmstrong/
Construction Health & Wellbeing: https://constructionhealth.co.uk/
Affinity Health at Work:
- Website: https://www.affinityhealthatwork.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/affinity-health-at-work-ltd/
Jo Yarker:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyarker/
Supporting Occupational Health and Wellbeing Professionals
GKR Scaffolding (sponsor): https://gkrscaffolding.co.uk/
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