By Eric Sprague C & R Magazine 07/22/2024
As I write this article, we just finished mental health awareness month. Last week, Katie Harris had me on her Success Elevated podcast to talk about my own journey with my mental health as it relates to owning and operating my cleaning and restoration business. You see, like most of us, my entrance into this trade was neither smooth nor easy, and it took a toll on my mood, my self-worth, and my ability to cope with life.
Anyone reading this article knows that the restoration industry can be a tough and trying occupation. We are dealing with stressed clients, insurance carrier issues, and working long, hard hours in non-optimal conditions. On top of that, we are often sleep-deprived and exhausted due to the 24/7 nature of our business.
That said, I have identified three of the most common stressors I feel restoration workers have:
Exposure to Traumatic Events: Disaster restoration workers are often exposed to traumatic scenes, such as natural disasters, fires, floods, or accidents. Witnessing the aftermath of these events can be emotionally taxing and may lead to feelings of anxiety, sadness, or helplessness. As hardened to these situations as many of us become over the years, it still undoubtedly takes its toll on us. The transference of all this fear and negative energy can be a huge drain on the restorer over time.
High Pressure and Urgency: We are always rushed. The nature of disaster restoration work often involves urgent timelines and high-pressure situations. Ourselves and our employees often face tight deadlines, long hours, and intense workloads to respond promptly to emergencies and restore affected areas. This constant sense of urgency can lead to stress and burnout if not managed effectively. On top of that, many of the team members are regularly on call and become exhausted from lack of sleep and overwork.
Physical Demands and Safety Risks: Disaster restoration work can be physically demanding and hazardous. Employees must perform tasks such as heavy lifting, debris removal, or working in unstable or unsafe environments. Have you ever spent the day in full PPE in an attic in Southern California in July? I have, and it’s not for the faint of heart. We all do hard things every day, and the cumulative effect of this can wear on team members. That is one of the reasons turnover is so high in our industry compared to other trades. Concerns about personal safety, the risk of injury, and exposure to hazardous materials can contribute to stress and anxiety among workers.
So–what do we do? Since the demands of our trade are not going to change, what is the answer to this quandary?
As we all know, turnover and training a new team member is extremely expensive and throws a huge wrench in the company operations, so the longer we can keep our people around, the better our company will perform. With this in mind, let’s talk about some of the offerings we can provide for our team to keep them feeling good and on the jog with us longer.
Trauma-Informed Training: Provide training on trauma awareness and coping strategies to help employees understand the psychological impact of their work and develop resilience.
Mental Health Support: Offer access to counseling services, peer support groups, or employee assistance programs to help workers process their experiences and seek professional help when needed.
Self-Care Practices: Encourage employees to practice self-care techniques such as meditation, relaxation exercises, or engaging in hobbies to manage stress and maintain emotional well-being.
Resource Allocation: Ensure workers have access to the necessary resources, equipment, and support to perform their jobs efficiently. Avoid overloading employees with unrealistic expectations or excessive work demands. Just having enough time between on-call weeks will do wonders for technicians’ and project managers’ energy and morale.
Promote Work-Life Balance: Encourage employees to take breaks, use their vacation time, and establish boundaries between work and personal life to prevent burnout and maintain overall well-being.
Wellness Programs: Offer wellness initiatives such as fitness programs, ergonomic assessments, or health promotion activities to support employees’ physical health and reduce the risk of workplace injuries. Many gym chains offer memberships as low as $10 per month. Providing this could be a great way to keep the team healthy and engaged.
My point is this: our industry is tough on its people. We are an amazing group because we care about helping others in their time of need, but we need to be honest with ourselves about the toll it takes on many of us. I have many friends in the industry whom I have spoken to privately, talking about burnout, stress, anxiety, and all the other emotions we get from doing what we love. They love their jobs, but at some point, it gets to all of us in some way or another. Unfortunately, many of us do not have the tools to cope, so we resort to drinking too much, emotional overeating, or worse as a method of coping,
I believe that moving forward, a great competitive advantage will go to the companies who do the best job caring for their team members’ mental, physical, and emotional well-being. While on Katie’s podcast, I mentioned that I feel my generation (Generation X) didn’t have any fewer mental health issues than Millennials or Gen Z, but the younger generations are much more comfortable talking about them and demand employers to help them navigate what they are going through. I see this as a huge opportunity to separate from the competition by creating a system to help the team thrive in the face of adversity. Hiring an online therapist for a certain number of hours per month and allowing team members access to those services sounds like a great work perk. Offering a gym membership to every staff member would be a great start to help them stay strong and fit for the job at hand while helping with their stress reduction. I even have a friend who hires a masseuse to come to his shop a few times every week, and each team member can schedule a massage once a month.
In the future, I feel that companies that think out of the box and provide the most value to their employees will thrive compared to those who have a more traditional view of the employer/employee relationship. Those who can offer the most value, care the most, and take the best care of their people will be winners in the long run.
