Mental Health Leadership for BC Construction Supervisors
Description
Hard Hats, Heavy Loads, and Heavy Minds:
Mental Health Leadership for BC Construction Supervisors
Construction workers are significantly more likely to experience depression, addiction, burnout, and suicide than workers in many other industries. Long hours, physically demanding work, economic uncertainty, transient job sites, and a workplace culture that has historically discouraged vulnerability can place enormous pressure on workers and leaders alike.
Supervisors, project managers, forepersons, and contractors are often the first to notice when something isn’t right — a worker who becomes withdrawn, increasingly irritable, misses shifts, appears overwhelmed, or begins making unsafe decisions. Yet many leaders feel uncertain about how to respond. They worry about saying the wrong thing, invading privacy, or exposing themselves or the company to legal or HR risk.
Taught by a corporate lawyer, this practical and engaging half-day workshop equips construction leaders with the knowledge and confidence to recognize early warning signs of mental distress, burnout, addiction, and psychological strain, approach difficult conversations with empathy and professionalism, and connect workers with appropriate support resources.
Strong construction teams are built not only on skill and safety — but on leaders who understand how to support the wellbeing of their crews.
Key Learning Objectives:
- Recognize early warning signs of mental stress, burnout, addiction, impairment, and suicidal thinking
- Have supportive conversations without becoming a counsellor or invading privacy
- Understand employer responsibilities under BC workplace legislation and WorkSafeBC requirements
- Understand the employer’s duty to accommodate mental health conditions under the BC Human Rights Code
- Know when and how to engage HR, safety leaders, unions, or external support resources
- Respond appropriately when mental health concerns may create immediate safety or fitness-for-duty concerns
Delivery Method: Virtual with Zoom Meeting (In-Person/Classroom delivery available upon request)
Course Fee Includes: Access to the course, course materials, and a digital certificate upon completion.
This course is delivered in partnership with local and provincial construction associations across Canada. You may be participating with a group of industry peers from multiple regions.
Sharing a single registration between two or more individuals is not permitted. Please register each person that will be in attendance.
Facilitator Bio
Paul Pelletier is a workplace culture expert, conflict management specialist, and former corporate lawyer who now works with organizations across Canada to help leaders address difficult behaviour, manage conflict, and build respectful high‑performance workplaces. See Paul’s website.
Paul has more than 30 years of experience dealing with high‑stakes conflict, investigations, and leadership challenges. He previously served as Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program for the Attorney General of British Columbia and is the recipient of the Premier’s Award for Outstanding Contribution.
Through his consulting practice, Paul works extensively with leaders in the construction and infrastructure sectors, helping superintendents, project managers, safety leaders, and executives navigate difficult conversations, resolve conflict between teams and trades, and strengthen workplace culture on projects. He is a certified TKI Assessment trainer, a PMP and CPS (certified professional speaker) represented by the National Speakers Bureau.
Paul is also the author of The Workplace Bullying Handbook and a sought‑after international speaker who has delivered more than 500 presentations and workshops around the world on leadership, conflict management, workplace respect, and organizational culture.