MENTAL HEALTH IN ENGINEERING Building Resilience: How Women in
Manufacturing Manage Mental Health From 5 February, the UK and Ireland celebrate ‘Time to Talk Day’, a time for the nation to come together to discuss mental health
In conversation with Chelsea Sun, Business Manager at GTK N
egative mental health is on the rise adults now suffering from a common
mental health condition, a 20 per cent increase in just over a decade. Nowhere is this felt more prevalently than at work, with the Trades Union Congress (TUC) declaring a work-related stress that 22 million working days were lost due to stress in 2024/2025. Studies show that this mental stress is more prevalent for women, with the British Safety Council reporting that female workers are subject to higher levels of workplace stress than their male colleagues. This is further evidenced in middle-aged workers, with two in three women over 50-years-old suffering from poor mental health.
In UK manufacturing, which has seen an
employee turnover of 34 per cent due to mental health struggles, the current climate means there’s never been a more important time to rally behind female staff members to ensure that they’re supported. To uncover some of the hidden challenges women face in manufacturing and how to overcome them, we spoke to Chelsea Sun, Business Manager at electronics journey within a leading UK manufacturer.
What mental health challenges do you think women in manufacturing face most often today?
“I think the biggest challenges are not feeling recognised, feeling unseen,” Sun says. “Being a woman in a male-dominated environment can already be challenging, while language and cultural differences can make it even harder. Balancing work and life, career progression pressures and returning to work after maternity leave also adds
Have you seen a shift in how mental health is viewed within the manufacturing industry, at both factory and management levels? “Management is increasingly aware of mental health but, at the frontline and in day-to-day operations, there are still gaps across the industry.
More structured support and open communication channels are needed, and I’m glad to say that GTK has these in place.”
Do you think women feel comfortable raising mental health concerns at work, or is there still a cultural barrier? “In my experience, many women can be hesitant to speak up, especially in male-dominated environments,” Sun says. “However, a good company culture can make this much less of a barrier. I’m fortunate that this isn’t a concern that I have to face personally, but I know many struggle within their organisations.” How does representation and visible female
wellbeing in manufacturing? “Seeing women in leadership positions proves to other women that they can be seen too,” Sun says. “Role models like this are incredibly important for mental wellbeing: they boost
18 January/February 2026 Irish Manufacturing
and pursue further career opportunities.”
Do women in manufacturing face unique, sometimes unseen challenges exclusive to them? If so, what are they? “Yes, there are challenges, and they’re not just woman, especially a woman who wasn’t born in the UK, I often felt overlooked early in my career before coming to GTK, with fewer opportunities for recognition or promotion. I was ambitious and willing to put a lot of energy into my work, but it was discouraging when my contributions were not acknowledged or my opinions were not sought.
“More recently, returning to work after
maternity leave was especially challenging, as so much had changed during my time away. These hidden pressures are often invisible to others
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