The possible ‘game changer’ for the construction industry

Construction is an industry that is facing an apprentice and worker shortage. A new strategy, however, could create a spark of interest in the industry for current workers and talent out there.

New research aimed at improving the infrastructure construction industry shows that a 50-hour work week over five days has strong support from workers and the other individuals involved in the industry, as it does not seem to adversely affect site productivity.

The Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (CICT), led by the governments of NSW and Victoria, has released an in-depth report into the construction industry’s culture, highlighting the problems of excessive work hours and the benefits of addressing them.

It studied the integrated strategies that were used to improve time for life and flexibility, diversity and inclusion, and wellbeing to determine how they contribute to positive cultural shifts that the construction industry desperately needs.

Chair of the CICT and interim chief commissioner of Infrastructure Australia, Gabrielle Trainor, said: “Cultural change in the industry is one of the key ways to address the acute skills shortage that has led to escalating labour costs and stagnant productivity in an industry which has so many other reasons to be a place to have a great career.”

“The Culture Standard, designed to be part of the procurement process, means a level playing field for contractors and government clients buy-in, project by project, to creating better, safer, and more equitable work environments and support construction to become an industry of choice.”

The main highlight from the report was the strong support for a five-day work week, which had 84 per cent of salaried respondents and 61 per cent of waged respondents preferring this schedule. This preference contrasts with the current industry status quo, which usually has longer working hours as 64 per cent of workers exceed 50 hours per week and Saturday work is often very common.

Long hours and weekend work can be a key detractor for young workers who had previously shown some form of keenness towards the construction industry. The pivot to a five-day work week with set hours could eradicate that doubt.

“The lack of work and life balance faced by many construction workers can cause significant stress, relationship issues and reduced productivity,” Trainor said. “It is a leading reason people exit the industry.”

“However, the five-day work schedule preferred by the workers in the study allowed them to spend more time with their kids, play sport, see friends or relax, and a two-day weekend also ensured they were better rested and recovered from the work week.”

The research and report also highlighted that the preconceived notion that there would be a dip in productivity if the hours and days were lessened was, in fact, a farce. Instead, the report showed that Saturdays usually lack productivity industry-wide, meaning that losing that day barely impacted overall work outcomes.

“With Saturdays typically seeing lower productivity across the industry, the loss of Saturday as a workday in the move to a Monday to Friday schedule was more than offset by the fact that we had a better rested, healthier and more satisfied workforce, which led to productivity improvements across the five-day week,” Trainor said.

“We also saw positive impacts in terms of recruitment, with other workers in the industry seeking to join our project due to the five-day work week.”