Human Side of Construction

Angelo Suntres
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Helping construction leaders improve the human experience in the industry. humansideofconstruction.substack.com

  1. 2d ago

    Ep.22 - The Overdose Crisis in Construction

    Construction has the highest opioid death rate of any industry in Ontario, more than four times the next sector. A new ODPRN report tracked 1,338 opioid deaths among construction and trades workers between 2018 and 2024, and flags that the true number is likely much higher due to missing occupation data. In this solo episode, Angelo breaks down how the industry’s injury rates, prescribing patterns, and toughness culture combined to produce this crisis, and lays out a concrete, unglamorous list of what leaders can do this week to change it. Key topics covered • Ontario’s construction and trades opioid death toll: 1,338 people, 37.9% of deaths with known occupation, 2018–2024 • Why the recorded number is a floor: nearly 8 in 10 deaths in the dataset have no occupation on record • Where and how these deaths actually happen: 77% alone, 75% in a private residence, only 47% employed at time of death • The injury-to-prescription-to-fentanyl pipeline, and why 90% of construction firms are too small to manage it alone • Toughness culture as a psychological safety failure, and its link to elevated suicide rates in the trades • What’s working: a 28.8% one-year drop in the U.S. construction overdose rate (2023–2024) • A leader’s practical to-do list: naloxone access, EAP awareness, changing how pain and time off get talked about, staying connected after layoffs Sources referenced • ODPRN, Circumstances Surrounding Opioid Toxicity Deaths Across Occupational Sectors in Ontario, 2018–2024 • CDC / National Vital Statistics System, 2020 occupational overdose data • CPWR (Center for Construction Research and Training) opioid research If you need support In Canada or the US, call or text 988 any time. In Ontario, you can also reach the Mental Health and Addictions line at 1-866-531-2600. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com

    Ep.22 - The Overdose Crisis in Construction

  2. Aug 10

    Ep.21 - Humility, Trust and the Human Side of Leadership

    Marius Tawembe, Director of Special Projects at Pomerleau, joins Angelo to talk about what it actually takes to build a team, a culture, and a career in the corner of construction most people overlook. From his roots in Cameroon to leading complex live renovations in the GTA, Marius makes the case that humility, trust, and candor are not soft skills but the real engine of performance. Along the way he shares the FIXO model he uses for hard conversations, why he treats letting people go as an act of love, and how a 2008 layoff and a sponsored visa led him to Canada. Key topics covered • Building a Special Projects division from zero by “firing yourself” and reverse-engineering the ideal leader • Humility as the most important leadership trait, and why certainty is dangerous • Trust given up front: trust is given, mistrust is earned • The FIXO model for tough conversations: facts, impact, expectation, opportunity • Releasing people from a role they do not fit as an act of care • Faith, an Achilles injury, and rediscovering what drives him • Surviving the 2008 recession, a sponsored visa deadline, and choosing Canada • Resiliency and the impermanence of good and bad seasons • Psychological safety, belonging, and their link to retention • Pomerleau’s national wellbeing committee and what employees actually asked for • Retaining young talent through purpose and varied experience, not just pay Guest bio Marius Tawembe is Director of Special Projects at Pomerleau in the Greater Toronto Area. The son of an architect and structural engineer, he trained in civil engineering and architecture from age 14 and has spent more than two decades in construction across nationals, boutiques, and his own shop, on both estimating and operations. He coaches youth basketball and serves on Pomerleau’s national wellbeing committee. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com

    Ep.21 - Humility, Trust and the Human Side of Leadership

  3. Aug 3

    Ep.20 - The 2029 Collision

    Buildforce Canada projects 2029 as the peak year for non-residential construction investment — the busiest building stretch in a generation. It arrives in the middle of a retirement wave that removes 139,000 experienced workers, about 20% of the non-residential workforce, by 2035. In this solo episode, Angelo Suntres argues the real crisis isn’t recruiting — it’s retention and knowledge transfer — and lays out four concrete moves leaders can make between now and 2029 to protect both their people and the judgment those people carry. Key topics covered • The 2029 collision: peak construction demand meets peak retirement • The national math — 188,700 workers needed vs. 158,300 expected under 30, and the 30,400-worker gap • The U.S. parallel: ~349,000 net new workers needed in 2026, mostly to replace retirements • Why a retirement is a loss of judgment, not just head count • The Ontario paradox: record apprenticeship intake, projected surplus, and workers still leaving the sector • Retention as culture measured in exits — and the diversity gaps hiding inside recruitment • Four leadership moves: map your cliff by name, put retention on the P&L, build the transfer system before the exit interview, and brace for the upside About the host Angelo Suntres, P.Eng., is a 20-year mechanical construction leader and two-time Wiley-published author (The Human Side of Construction, Rebuild Construction). He hosts The Human Side of Construction, a podcast about the people side of building — retention, leadership, mental health, and the culture decisions that separate companies that thrive from ones that merely survive. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com

    Ep.20 - The 2029 Collision

  4. Jul 27

    Ep.19 - The Real Cost of Sucking It Up

    Angelo sits down with James Boseley, Trades Lead at Pain BC, whose 25+ years in the oil field and heavy equipment work ended with a nine-foot fall that shattered his heel, broke his hip and leg, and herniated his discs. James worked through those injuries for four months, spent six years off work, and rebuilt his life through pain coaching and counseling. Now he leads Pain BC’s outreach to the trades, including the Guideline text support service and the Don’t Be the D*****s campaign. This conversation covers the culture of silence around pain, the path from injury to addiction, and the free resources most trades workers have never heard of. Key topics covered: • The rub-some-dirt-in-it culture and how pain stigma gets passed down on site • James’s nine-foot fall, the system failures that followed, and six years off work • The acute-to-chronic pain window and why early intervention matters • Pain, mental health, and addiction as one connected problem, not three separate ones • The BC numbers: 21% of toxic drug deaths are trades workers; nearly 80% of construction opioid overdose deaths involved a prior pain condition • Diagnosis as a stepping stone rather than an identity • Pain BC’s free resources: the Guideline text line, Pain Support Line, 12 free coaching sessions, peer support groups, Empowered Relief, and the Making Sense of Pain course • Why lived experience connects where clinical language fails • The one thing leaders can do Monday: sit back and listen Guest bio: James Boseley is the Trades Lead at Pain BC, a British Columbia non-profit dedicated to pain education, support, and research. A former oil field and heavy equipment worker, James retrained as a certified pain coach and counselor after a workplace injury ended his field career. He brings lived experience of chronic pain, workers’ compensation battles, and recovery to his work supporting tradespeople across BC. Pain BC Info: Text ‘TRADES’ to 1-833-261-PAIN (7246) to access free, confidential support and chronic pain tools designed for BC trades workers. Available Monday to Thursday, 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM PT. To learn more about the Guideline, please visit painbc.ca/guideline. Pain BC’s Trades and Pain Program has created a Toolbox Talks facilitator’s guide and videos to help make conversations about pain easier to bring into safety meetings. Register for our free webinar on August 5 or September 9 to learn more about the guide and videos. * August 5 - register here * September 9 - register here This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com

    Ep.19 - The Real Cost of Sucking It Up

  5. Jul 21

    Ep.18 - The Leaking Pipeline

    A new University of Toronto study of Ontario electricians found that apprentices are six times more likely to intend to leave the trade than licensed journeypersons — and that burnout, despite affecting one in three workers, didn’t predict who was planning to go. Job satisfaction did. In this solo episode, Angelo breaks down four findings that upend the industry’s standard retention playbook, explains why trades culture suppresses the psychological warning signs until people simply exit, and lays out different interventions for apprentices versus experienced professionals. He closes with a two-question challenge every construction leader can run this week. Key Topics Covered • The 6x finding: apprentice vs. journeyperson intent to leave • Why burnout (39% personal, 33% work-related) didn’t predict turnover — and job satisfaction did (40–53% decrease in intent to leave per unit of satisfaction) • Canada’s apprenticeship completion crisis: 100,000+ registrations in 2024 vs. ~34,000 completions • US workforce gap: 349,000 net new workers needed in 2026, 456,000 in 2027; 41% of the workforce retiring by 2031 • The “tough-it-out tax”: how trades culture normalizes suffering and suppresses the psychological signal • Why journeypersons and apprentices leave for different reasons — and need different interventions • The federal government’s $6B skilled trades investment: the financial lever vs. the human lever • This week’s challenge: two questions to ask an apprentice on your project This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com

    Ep.18 - The Leaking Pipeline

  6. Jul 13

    Ep.17 - Awareness to Action on Mental Health

    Organizational psychologist and former licensed therapist Melissa Doman joins Angelo to unpack why construction’s mental health efforts are stuck in an awareness phase — and what it actually takes to move past it. They dig into why manager training usually stops at spotting symptoms instead of teaching the conversation itself, why individual ownership has to sit alongside leadership effort, and why this is fundamentally an operational issue, not a wellness initiative. Melissa closes with the one thing she’d want every construction executive to hear, whether they want to hear it or not. Key Topics Covered • Melissa’s path from licensed therapist to organizational psychologist • Why she named her method around moving from awareness into action • What her two books cover — language, leadership, and power dynamics • How duty of care around mental health differs across Canada, the UK, Australia, and the US • Why the “tough it out” archetype fails construction workers, and what peer support programs get right • The difference between training managers to watch for symptoms and training them to have the conversation • Why leadership-only effort isn’t enough, and what individual ownership looks like • What a real organizational rollout looks like, from purpose-setting through upskilling • Why this should be framed as an operational issue with a measurable ROI, not a wellness initiative • The one thing Melissa wants every construction executive to hear About Melissa Doman Melissa Doman, MA is an Organizational Psychologist, Former Mental Health Therapist, Author of Cornered Office: Why We Need To Talk About Leadership Mental Health and Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work (Here’s Why And How To Do It Really Well), and Founder of The Workplace Mental Health Method™. Melissa works with companies across industries around the globe – including clients like Google, Progressive, Dow Jones, the Orlando City Soccer Club, Microsoft, Salesforce, Siemens, Estée Lauder, & Janssen. She’s spoken at SXSW, has been featured as a subject matter expert in CNN, Vogue, NPR, Fast Company, the BBC, CNBC, Inc., and in LinkedIn’s 2022 Top 10 Voices on Mental Health. Having lived abroad in South Korea, England, Australia and traveled to nearly 50 countries, Melissa calls upon her global experiences to inform how she works with companies worldwide. She has one core goal: to equip companies, individuals, and leaders to have constructive conversations about mental health, team dynamics, and communication in the workplace. Her work and book aim to accomplish just that. To learn more about Melissa, her work, or her books - please visit www.melissadoman.com. Business website: www.melissadoman.com Books: Cornered Office: Why We Need To Talk About Leadership Mental Health Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work (Here’s Why And How To Do It Really Well) Social Links: * LinkedIn: * Individual page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissadoman1/ * Business page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-workplace-mental-health-method * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewanderingmel/ LinkedIn Learning Courses: * Navigating the Mental Toll and Stress of Leadership * Realistic Strategies to Talk about Mental Health at Work * Talking About Mental Health as a Leader This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com

    Ep.17 - Awareness to Action on Mental Health

  7. Jul 6

    Ep.16 - Six Construction Skills AI Will Never Replace

    In this solo episode, Angelo takes Daniel Pink’s framework of the six human skills AI will never replace and applies it directly to construction. From asking better questions to building job site judgment, iterating with intent, orchestrating humans and machines, and leading with integrity - this is the leadership map for a construction industry heading into a decade of AI-driven change. The through-line: when the world gets more artificial, construction doesn’t just need to get more human. It needs to get more intentionally human. Key Topics Covered • Why 79% of construction has zero or limited AI implementation — and why that isn’t the real problem • Asking better questions when answers become commodities • Why judgment (”taste”) is walking out the door with retiring superintendents • Iteration as leadership, not failure - and where AI genuinely adds value • Orchestration as the modern PM/superintendent job description • Integrity in a world where the tool is neutral but the intent is everything • How individual wellness and team psychological safety operate as a safety system Data Points Referenced • 79% of construction organizations have zero or limited AI implementation • Construction needs roughly 349,000 net new workers in 2026 to meet demand • Only 27% of AEC professionals currently use AI in operations • Early adopters reporting 500–1,000 hours saved annually • 38% of contractors seeing measurable business impact from AI (double year-over-year) • AI in construction market projected to grow from ~$2.2B (2026) to ~$25B (2035) — 31% CAGR • Over 1,000 US construction fatalities in 2023, more than any other industry • Falls, slips, and trips accounted for 39% of construction fatalities • Some AI safety platforms reporting up to 48% reduction in serious incidents References • Daniel Pink — A Whole New Mind • Daniel Pink — Drive • Daniel Pink’s framework: The six human skills AI will never replace Contact Reach out to Angelo at angelo@hsoc.one to share a construction experience or discuss workforce challenges in your organization. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com

    Ep.16 - Six Construction Skills AI Will Never Replace

  8. Jun 29

    Ep.15 - Building Culture From the Inside

    Angelo sits down with Leighann Harrison — Director of HR and part-owner of Core Mechanical, a mechanical contractor in BC — who brought a psychology background, coaching practice, and clinical breathwork into a trades business. They dig into why most construction wellness is performative, how to notice when someone’s struggling and actually say something, and why mental health belongs under an operational lens rather than a feel-good one. Angelo shares the story of the colleague who created space for him during the hardest stretch of his life, and Leighann closes with the one thing she’d change about the industry: more love, and the safety to be vulnerable. Key Topics Covered •        The unlikely path from psychology and coaching to part-owner of a trades business •        Coming in as an outsider — and why the trades welcome support more than expected •        What HR looks like with a clinical lens vs. accounting-runs-the-paperwork •        Walking the line between coaching and HR •        How to notice when someone’s off, and how to broach it without crossing a line •        Angelo’s story: the colleague who quietly created space •        Resilience vs. suppression — and what suppression actually manifests as •        Giving people language for their nervous system (regulated, dysregulated, flooded) •        Treating mental health as an operational issue: presenteeism, absenteeism, safety •        Leading by example, and two actions any leader can take: deepen check-ins, be vulnerable •        “Support or advice?” and witnessing pain instead of fixing it •        Mental health first aid, the CPR analogy, and the 50% lifetime mental illness stat •        Signposting: you don’t have to be the therapist, you just need to know where to point •        Therapy as “the dentist for your brain,” and dropping the stigma •        The reframe: what’s missing instead of what’s wrong •        The one thing: more love, and psychological safety to be vulnerable Guest Bio Leighann Harrison is Director of HR and part-owner of Core Mechanical Ltd., a family-founded mechanical contractor in Langley, BC. She holds a background in psychology and is a certified coach and clinical breathworker. She co-owns the company with her husband Ryan Harrison and leads culture inside a business that partners with major BC general contractors. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com

    Ep.15 - Building Culture From the Inside
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