Beyond Toughing It Out: Building Workplaces That Support Men’s Mental Health

November is Movember, a month dedicated to raising awareness about men’s health. While much of the conversation focuses on physical health, there is another issue that deserves equal attention in the workplace: mental health.

For decades, through societal culture many men have been taught to "tough it out," push through challenges, and keep personal struggles to themselves. In some industries, this mindset is often seen as a sign of strength, resilience, and commitment. However, when employees continue working while overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, burnout, or other mental health challenges, the consequences can extend beyond the individual and can create serious workplace safety risks.

Research consistently shows that traditional masculine norms, including self-reliance, stoicism, and reluctance to seek help, can increase both physical and psychological health risks in for men at work. Men’s occupational health studies examining construction, trades, resource extraction, emergency services, and other high-risk occupations have found that workplace cultures emphasizing toughness may discourage workers from reporting concerns or accessing support when they need it.

The workplace is a critical setting for mental health promotion because many working-age adults spend a significant portion of their lives at work. According to the Government of Canada, poor workplace psychological health is associated with reduced performance, lower productivity, and increased absenteeism.

Why Mental Health Is a Workplace Safety Issue

Mental health challenges do not remain separate from workplace performance. Strong evidence demonstrates that psychological distress can affect cognitive functioning, including attention, concentration, memory, decision-making, problem-solving, reaction time, and communication. Mental Health and Leadership training offered at Gowan emphasizes that prolonged stress can diminish learning, memory, stress regulation, decision-making, and social interactions.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety recognizes psychological health and safety as an occupational health and safety issue and encourages employers to identify and address psychosocial hazards in the same way they manage physical hazards. This is particularly important in industries where a momentary lapse in concentration can have serious consequences, including manufacturing, transportation, energy, utilities, construction, aviation, and emergency response.

The Cost of Silence

Only a minority of Canadian workers report feeling comfortable discussing mental health concerns with their employer. Psychological health concerns are among the leading causes of disability and contribute substantially to lost productivity and workplace absence.

Research examining men's workplace mental health has found that social expectations around toughness and self-reliance frequently delay help-seeking behaviour and contribute to the underreporting of psychological distress. This means leaders often see the effects of mental health challenges such as absenteeism, presenteeism, or safety concerns, before they hear about them.

Construction and Resource Industries

Emerging Canadian research suggests that construction workers experience disproportionately high rates of suicide, substance use harms, and psychological distress compared to the broader workforce. Analyses presented by the Institute for Work and Health have identified suicide and substance-use-related deaths as occurring more frequently than traumatic workplace fatalities among construction workers.

Industry organizations including the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association have also identified mental health and suicide prevention as priority workplace safety concerns and note that cultural expectations around toughness can discourage workers from seeking help. These findings reinforce an important message: safeguarding workers means addressing both physical and psychological risks.

Early Warning Signs Leaders Often Miss

Research and workplace mental health programs consistently identify changes in behaviour, attendance, concentration, mood, energy levels, social engagement, and work performance as potential indicators of distress. identify increased irritability, conflict, isolation, difficulties meeting deadlines, and withdrawal from coworkers as warning signs that warrant supportive conversations. Leaders do not need to diagnose a problem; rather they need to notice changes and create opportunities for safe discussion.

Workplace Connection Is Protective

Connection can be particularly important when supporting men’s mental health. Men’s Sheds Canada offers a useful example of how connection can develop naturally through shared activities, interests and purpose. The Men’s Sheds model is grounded in the idea that men may communicate more effectively “shoulder to shoulder,” creating opportunities to build friendships and supportive relationships while doing something meaningful together. For workplaces, the broader lesson is worth considering: supporting men’s mental health does not always begin with a formal conversation about mental health. Creating opportunities for connection, collaboration, shared purpose and peer support may help build an environment where speaking up and seeking help feels more natural. 

What Employers Can Do to Support Mental Health at Work

Supporting mental health requires more than encouraging individual employees to build resilience. The Mental Health Commission of Canada’s National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace provides a framework for organizations to identify psychosocial hazards, assess and manage risks, prevent psychological harm, and promote worker well-being. Employers can put this into practice by:

• Looking at the work itself: Consider how workload, expectations, communication, change, workplace relationships and other psychosocial conditions may affect employees’ psychological health. Also, consider the impact of doing nothing (e.g. lost time, leaves of absence, training and replacement costs)
• Identifying and addressing psychosocial hazards: The Workplace Standard specifically promotes a systematic approach to identifying hazards and assessing and managing psychological risks (e.g. presence of stigma and tough it out culture)
• Moving from awareness to action: Mental health education is important, but it should be accompanied by organizational measures that prevent harm, promote wellbeing and encourage a workplace culture where employees can thrive (e.g. creating opportunity for genuine connection)
• Building psychological health and safety into everyday operations: Rather than viewing mental health as solely an HR or wellness issue, employers can integrate psychological health and safety into existing occupational health and safety approaches (e.g. Supportive and empathetic leadership with team check-ins)
• Creating pathways for support and accommodation: Employees should know where they can raise concerns, request workplace support or accommodation, and access available mental health resources without unnecessary barriers.
• Listen to employees: Meaningful worker participation can help employers understand where workplace practices support well-being and where changes may be needed (e.g. involve workers in conversations about challenges or needed adjustments)

What Employees Can Do

Employees are not responsible for fixing workplace systems or managing psychological hazards on their own. However, they can play an important role in creating a workplace where psychological health and safety are openly discussed and supported.

Employees can:

• Pay attention to changes in their own functioning at work, such as increasing difficulty concentrating, managing workload, organizing tasks or maintaining their usual routines, and seek support early when needed.
• Communicate about barriers at work: When comfortable and appropriate, employees can identify aspects of their work that are making it more difficult to function effectively and discuss potential solutions with a manager, HR, union representative or other workplace resource.
• Ask for support or accommodation when needed: The focus can be on what is needed to perform the job successfully rather than on disclosing more personal or medical information than necessary.
• Use available workplace and community supports, such as employee and family assistance programs, benefits, peer support or healthcare resources.
• Participate in psychological health and safety initiatives: Employee feedback can help organizations better understand workplace experiences and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Contribute to a respectful workplace culture: Everyday behaviours such as listening, communicating respectfully, including colleagues and responding constructively when someone raises a concern can reinforce psychological safety

How Can Gowan Consulting Help? 

Gowan Consulting helps organizations build workplaces where employees feel safe speaking up early, including in industries where a "tough it out" culture can keep people silent. Our Manager Mental Health Training gives leaders practical tools to notice early warning signs, start supportive conversations, build connection and psychological safety, and put accommodations in place. 

When an employee is struggling to function at work, our Occupational Therapists can complete a Work Accommodation Assessment and recommend strategies that reflect the employee's abilities, job demands, and work environment. Contact Gowan Consulting to discuss the right support for your organization.