Home > Case Studies > Balfour Beatty Workshops
Case Study
How Balfour Beatty Tackled Men's Health on the Job Site
Balfour Beatty is one of the leading infrastructure and construction firms in the world, with over 27,000 employees across the UK, US, and Hong Kong, with over 13,000 staff in the UK alone.
Their Regional Civils business is renowned for pioneering innovative and sustainable solutions in civil engineering, flood and coastal management, and energy-focused projects. Their work includes key UK projects such as HS2 and Hinkley Point C.
Employee health is a key concern in the industry, with back, joint and muscle problems, as well as stress being some of the biggest reasons for work-related absence. With the construction industry being around 85% male, and with men being less proactive around their health in general, the teams in Wokingham and Oxford A34 decided to host a series of workshops to help support men’s health amongst their teams.
Key Outcomes
- 4 men’s health workshops delivered across two different sites.
- Drop-in sessions available for employees to discuss issues privately.
- Over 100 employees (plus subcontractors)Â reached throughout the day.
Challenge - Promoting Men's Health in a time-intensive workplace setting
Men’s health is a massive concern in the workplace, with men less likely to see their doctor, or to take action on any health issues, than women. Construction is a male-dominated industry, so supporting the health of male staff is essential for making sure they are happy, healthy, and productive – meaning projects get delivered on-time and on-budget.
But construction can’t stop on important projects, like the ones in Oxford and Wokingham. Which is why we needed a unique solution to help support the Balfour Beatty teams (and the on-site sub-contractors) at these sites.
Solution - A bespoke approach to Men's Health Workshops
Most of the Men’s Health Workshops we run here at New Leaf Health are in a 60-minute webinar format. Employees are usually sat at their desks (whether at work or remote), so can easily put their work on hold and join a call.
The same approach doesn’t quite work when your employees are on-site improving the UK’s transport infrastructure.
Through discussion with the teams at the Wokingham and Oxford sites, we agreed that the best solution was face-to-face, running a couple of 20-30 minute sessions at both sites. With this approach, timings on the day could easily be tweaked to accommodate any changes that might occur on-site, and the flexibility that two sessions allows means that not everyone has to down-tools at once.
We also agreed to allow time before and after the sessions for individuals to drop in to chat to our men’s health expert. Health can often be a personal and sometimes embarassing subject for men. Mental health, especially, is something that doesn’t get talked about enough. But having the ability to drop in to speak to our expert meant that the Balfour Beatty staff and contractors could get personalised information and guidance, without feeling embarrassed.
Result - Education and Awareness across two Busy Job Sites
The sessions had an incredibly positive impact and were well attended across a busy work site by both men and women alike.
Sessions ran smoothly, with plenty of opportunity for open, non-judgemental conversations around topics that can sometimes be difficult.
“Working with New Leaf Health was an exceptional experience—from our very first conversation about building the right package for our employees.
The team was professional, flexible, and incredibly supportive throughout, making the entire process seamless and genuinely enjoyable.“
Victoria Odey, Communications Manager, Balfour Beatty
Here at New Leaf Health, we work with a wide variety of civil engineering and construction companies across the UK. Logistics can always be a challenge in the industry, as downing-tools for a wellbeing session isn’t always possible, and when there are breaks, workers often want to switch off and relax.
We were thrilled with the approach at Balfour Beatty Regional Civils, which showcases the care they have for their workers and sub-contractors, resulting in a very bespoke approach to workshop sessions running without a hitch.
Interested in covering a specific health topic for your team? Click below to learn more about our workshops.
Book Workshops for your Employees
Give your colleagues an overview of different health topics.
Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty is a leading international infrastructure group.
Industry
Infrastructure and construction
Company Size
13,000 UK Employees
Headquarters
London
Book Workshops for your Employees
Give your colleagues an overview of different health topics.