The construction industry continues to face challenges in retaining women workers, with new research pointing to issues in pregnancy support, parental leave and returning to work for frontline construction roles.
Commissioned by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), the report highlights important opportunities for the construction sector to build more inclusive and supportive workplaces, which in turn supports attracting and retaining more female workers.
Negative experiences of parental leave are common and have become a major barrier to retention of women in the sector, the research shows.
Support and policies also lack clarity and consistency in the sector, leaving many women to miss out on paid leave beyond the government scheme. With small businesses dominating the sector, research shows limited access to employer-funded parental leave.
Industry barriers
Funded by the NSW Government’s Women in Construction Industry Innovation Program and led by researchers at the University of Sydney, the research, Boosting Retention of Women in Construction: Improving Transitions in and out of Parental Leave, explores the experiences of women working across the construction sector in NSW.
Many of the women interviewed were the first in their workplaces to take parental leave, and their stories reveal a range of barriers, including difficulties balancing work and childcare responsibilities.
The research shows a significant constraint for women was found to be long and inflexible work hours. Despite 77 per cent of employers offering flexible work, only 14.3 per cent of employees work part time.
Without proper planning, many women are returning to lower-skilled roles or leaving the construction industry altogether.
“There is currently inadequate financial support for pregnant trades women, especially sole traders and those in SMEs,” the researchers said.
“If women are to remain in construction while having children, industry practices must change. Trade unions, employer groups and government need to work together to strengthen support for pregnancy and parental leave.”
What must be done
The report calls for urgent, coordinated action from employers, unions and industry bodies, such as extending their paid parental leave, reducing standard working hours and offering flexible return-to-work options.
Researchers say companies should mandate essential amenities on all construction sites, including toilets, lactation rooms, and sanitary products.
Companies should also develop national guidelines tailored to apprentices and SMEs, as well as create an industry-funded parental leave scheme for small businesses and sole traders.
“Just 13.6 per cent of Australia’s construction industry is female – and only 3 per cent of trade workers are women. Construction has the highest gender pay gap of any Australian industry at 28.3 per cent,” said the National Association of Women in Construction Co-President, Atika Anwar.
“We have to change the way we operate – and changing the industry’s approach to parental leave is a good place to start.”
“By addressing these challenges, we can create safer, fairer and more flexible environments that allow women to thrive at every stage of their careers.”