BUSINESS
People treatment as a continuous
improvement strategy in
construction environments
According to constructible.com,
the demand for construction
is growing much faster than
the number of skilled workers, and the industry
is facing a skills shortage like never before.
Speci!cally, "e Bureau of Labour Statistics
suggests that overall employment of construction
labourers and helpers is projected to grow
!ve per cent from 2019 to 2029, faster than the
average for all occupations. If there is work,
and that work pays reasonably well, why don’t
people want to work in the industry? Why, according
to Gallup, are only 33 per cent of your
employees fully engaged? And why, according
to Digital Builder, is there a 21.4 percent industry
wide construction employee turnover rate?
"ere are a few possible explanations, and
not surprisingly, they all relate to civility.
Rough workplace culture
In traditional construction environments, you
need to show you are not “weak.” Fi#ing in often
requires being “rough,” which might include
engaging in what many perceive as uncivil behaviours,
including:
• Swearing
• Calling people names
• Ignoring people
• Criticizing people in public
• Walking away when people are talking to you
• Shouting
• Demonstrating physical strength, e.g.,
punching a wall, stomping, making a !st
• Toughing it out when you experience
small injuries
• Crowding others, e.g., ge#ing into their
personal space
• Overtalking and/or interrupting
• Rolling your eyes
• Gesturing rudely, e.g., giving the !nger
• Shu#ing people down verbally
• Speaking in a harsh tone
• Taking a staunch stance, e.g., wide postures
• Failing to acknowledge others
• Avoiding showing so$ness, e.g., formal thank
you, hugging, too much smiling
• Avoiding apologizing
• And generally, just not being “nice”
Some of this behaviour might be understood
as normal or acceptable by those who live in
these organizations, but technically, these are
uncivil behaviours that, when le$ unaddressed,
collectively create a toxic work culture.
Construction worker
stereotypes
In an article, “"ree Myths of Construction
Workers: ‘Why we are not Second-Class
Citizens,’” Forrest Sim outlines three common
myths about construction workers.
1. Construction workers are all gross and shout
catcalls
2. Construction workers are just dumb brutes
who only know how to swing a hammer
3. Construction sites are dirty and dangerous
Clearly, labeling is uncivil. "at these stereotypes
prevail potentially results in self-ful!lling
prophecy – that is, some construction workers
lower their behaviour standards because they
believe they are perceived negatively anyway.
And employers, site supervisors, clients and the
public potentially treat workers badly because
they believe the stereotypes. In either case, this
labeling and categorizing is hugely detrimental
and certainly impacts how people working in
the industry are treated.
Survival of the
fittest mindset
As a result of a “be strong to survive” mindset,
construction sites are o$en not perceived
as great places to work. Sure, noise, safety concerns,
time constraints, stress, the union aspects,
etc. may contribute to what can be described as
a negative workplace culture, but the hard truth
By Christian Masotti
KATARZYNA BIAŁASIEWICZ / 123RF
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