ECA survey seeks to uncover the human cost of payment abuse

ECA (Electrical Contractors’ Association) is calling for responses from construction and facilities management sectors at all levels of the supply chain across all trades, to share how late payments are affecting their mental health.

For years, ECA has been calling for tougher action on fair payment, highlighting the damaging impact on businesses, in particular SMEs, at the end of the supply chain. Now, ECA aims to better understand the toll that late payments take on individuals’ mental health and wellbeing.

Construction workers face some of the most significant mental health challenges of any sector, with two construction workers, on average, taking their own lives each day. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that, during 2023-24, 18% of all ill health in the construction sector was related to mental health with approximately 14,000 workers suffering from work-related stress, depression and anxiety.

The 2025 Construction/FM: Payment Mental Health Survey explores the sacrifices and pressures management have had to endure due to late or unfair payment practices, including both personal and professional impacts.

Please complete this short, anonymous survey. The findings will inform ECA’s thought leadership and support the work of others who campaign for fairer payment practices.

To learn more about ECA’s work toward creating a fairer business landscape, visit this page. ECA’s Legal & Business team has produced guidance and templates to support Members with payment practices and offers a free Member Helpline to answer your queries, find out more here. Visit ECA's dedicated Mental Health page for signposts to further support for you and your employees.

This article and image appear on the ECA news and blog site as "ECA survey seeks to uncover the human cost of payment abuse" dated 15 July 2025.

--ECA

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