Widespread issues found in parental leave schemes, workplace health and safety
Women working in the construction sector are facing "serious issues", according to a new study, prompting calls for reforms to encourage more women to take up a trade to help reduce skill shortages.
The National Association of Women in Construction commissioned research from the University of Sydney Business School to understand the challenges faced by women in the construction sector.
It found massive underrepresentation in the field, with women making up only 13.6% of the construction workforce and widespread issues regarding parental leave, discrimination amid pregnancy, as well as work health and safety policies.
"Many of the women we spoke to were the first in their workplace to take parental leave and received little support from managers who lacked knowledge and experience," said Natalie Galea, a co-author in the study, in a statement.
"In fact, they reported serious issues including forced disclosures, withheld promotions, demotions and redundancies."
According to the findings, 61% of construction worksites also did not offer coaching for employees returning from parental leave.
Most employers also did not have employer-subsidised childcare (97%), on-site childcare (98%), and internal support networks for parents and carers (63%).
"There are widespread issues including inadequate health and safety policies, lack of basic amenities such as women's toilets and lactation rooms, and lack of clear and transparent parental leave policies," said Galea.
"The employment practices haven't caught up with having women as part of the workforce – or even allowing men to take on caring responsibilities."
Reforms in the construction sector
To address these challenges, the report outlined recommendations including reforms to leave benefits in the sector.
"Employers should extend the duration of their paid parental leave offering," it said.
"Employers should make paid parental leave more accessible to men and remove gendered terms like 'primary' and 'secondary' carer to promote shared caregiving responsibilities."
More support should also be provided to women's return to work through personalised plans, phased transitions, flexible arrangements, and access to lactation facilities, according to the study.
It also called on trade unions, industry associations, and employers to make changes in the industry.
"We urge the NSW Government to consider an industry levy to fund parental leave, especially for small businesses and sole traders," Galea said.
"This would encourage more women to take up a trade and enable skilled workers to remain in the industry, helping to address Australia's construction skills shortage now and into the future."
