CPWR seeks to understand bullying and harassment in construction

Silver Spring, MD — Researchers from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training recently set out to explore how bullying and harassment “may contribute to poor well-being among construction workers.”

Partnering with “a large building trade union, an apprenticeship program, and a union-contractor alliance,” CPWR created a survey. Their objective: Gather data to be used for training and other interventions.

The researchers received more than 3,300 responses, including 500-plus “narrative responses that provide unique and diverse perspectives on member experiences, attitudes and ideas for action.” The feedback prompted CPWR to revise the survey to collect even more information:

• Specific locations where bullying takes place
• Acts of retaliation for confronting or reporting bullying
• Attitudes and beliefs about abusive behavior
• The role of work-related factors such as hygiene conditions, lack of paid time off and lack of training
• Specific impacts of bullying on a recipient (e.g., mental health, retaliation, wanting to quit or denial of promotions/development)
• The role of travel for work and/or being far from home

“This construction industry bullying and harassment survey can be used with confidence to find out how negative acts are impacting construction workers and to develop specific strategies to address them,” CPWR states.

The study was published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.