Preventing Discrimination and Harassment - Construction

HR professionals in the construction industry face many challenges —hiring and retaining experienced employees and contractors, promoting workers’ health and safety, and implementing effective training programs to prevent discrimination and harassment and improve workplace culture. Whether working in the office or on the jobsite, employees in the construction industry need to be aware of their organization’s values and behavior expectations, and understand how local, state and federal laws prohibiting harassment, discrimination and retaliation apply in their day-to-day interactions.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace identified regular, interactive training tailored to the organization as one of the core principles of a holistic approach to combating harassment and changing workplace culture. With the strong support of leadership and effective policies, procedures and training, construction companies can better manage the risk of costly discrimination and harassment claims, and create a more respectful, inclusive workplace culture that can improve recruitment and retention, productivity and the bottom line.