In this emotionally resonant episode of Headspace for the Workplace, Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas talks with Dr. Colleen Saringer, a psychologist, speaker, and spouse of a construction business owner, about one of the most overlooked realities of workplace mental health: the spillover of job stress into family life.
Research shows that work-related psychosocial hazards, such as excessive workload, job insecurity, and lack of control, don’t stop at the job site gate. They spill over into home life and cross over into the emotional health of spouses and children, creating what experts call a dyadic transmission of risk. These family-level effects are not minor. When high work stress and high family stress occur together, the risk of suicidal ideation can increase significantly.
Dr. Saringer brings this research to life through her own story. Growing up in a family sheet-metal business and later standing beside her husband as he carried the emotional and financial burden of running an industrial roofing company. Together, they learned how unspoken strain nearly broke them and how candid communication, emotional boundaries, and intentional rituals like no-phone dinners helped them heal and reconnect.
This conversation explores the human cost of ignoring psychosocial hazards, the silent suffering of families behind small businesses, and practical strategies to build mental health “safety nets” for both the field and the family.
In this episode, we discuss:
What is the spillover effect in workplace stress, and how does it impact families?
How can job strain in high-risk industries like construction contribute to suicide risk?
What are psychosocial hazards, and why should employers treat them as safety risks?
How do work stress and family stress interact to heighten mental health challenges?
What can business owners and their partners do to set emotional boundaries and prevent burnout?
How can families of construction workers protect their mental health?
What are examples of practical strategies for couples managing business-related stress?
Why is it critical to include families in workplace suicide prevention plans?
Key Insights
Work stress is systemic: Psychosocial hazards, such as poor management, long hours, and job insecurity, are organizational design flaws, not individual weaknesses.
Stress crosses domains: When strain enters the home, it undermines relationships, sleep, and emotional health, creating dyadic distress.
Cumulative risk matters: The intersection of work and family stress exponentially increases suicide risk.
Culture change is prevention: Open conversations, leadership training, and family-inclusive EAPs are essential for protecting life and livelihood.
Everyday prevention: Emotional “contract clauses,” phone-free dinners, and honest check-ins can safeguard relationships and wellbeing.
About Dr. Colleen Saringer
Dr. Colleen Saringer, PhD
Founder & Owner, Dr. Colleen Saringer Speaks
https://www.colleensaringer.com/
Dr. Colleen Saringer is an expert speaker in the field of workplace mental health and suicide prevention who’s on a mission to stop work from hurting people. She blends 25 years of organizational health leadership with the lived experience of two family-owned construction businesses to show leaders how culture can save lives and strengthen the bottom line
Raised in a blue-collar family and now supporting her husband’s industrial roofing company, Colleen speaks candidly about the dual burden families face when the weight of business ownership becomes too heavy to carry alone.
References & Resources
Crossover of Stress and Strain in the Family and Workplace – Bakker & Demerouti, ResearchGate
Work Stress, Family Stress, and Suicide Ideation: A Cross-Sectional Survey among Working Women – ResearchGate
Mental Health and Well-Being Concerns of Fly-in Fly-out Workers and Their Partners in Australia – PubMed Central
Loss of Spouse or Partner to Suicide Linked to Physical, Mental Disorders – Johns Hopkins
What Can We Do to Address Mental Health in the Construction Industry? – ASSP