The fact that we still have to explain to people in 2018

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I was groped by my foreman and then told I could ruin a man’s career if I talked too much. … I got laid off a day later. There have been times when I was genuinely scared for my safety and no one cared, and when I spoke up I was penalized.”— Female craftworker in the southeast U.S., age 18-30

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administrative assistant, 31-45 at small West Coast contractor “My workplace incidents date back … [but] I would still consider reporting a sexual harassment situation to be a career killer. There was fear and shame … blaming yourself. … But I am forever grateful to the women who have had the courage to come forward.” —Woman in business development for a specialty contractor, age 61-75

“The overreaction to normal human interaction is causing a rift between genders and working against the goal of equal collaboration. I will not be in a meeting alone with a woman and cannot give the honest feedback that associates need in privacy, therefore [women] are not getting the feedback.” —Male contractor executive, age 31-45, Mountain States

“Women are treated as equals if we work and act like equals. Men are almost on guard when working with a new woman. I dealt with one bad experience quietly because I didn’t want other men to be scared to work with me in the future.” —Female union superintendent, Canada, age 31-45

ENR

Special Report

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he personal stories and points of view on sexual harassment and gender bias in the construction industry are as varied as the 1,248 respondents themselves in ENR’s firstever survey of a workplace phenomenon that has long plagued the industry but now comes front and center on the first anniversary of the #MeToo movement. ENR’s sister publication, Architectural Record, collaborated on this deep dive into how employers and

SPEAKING OUT Despite more than 60% reporting some kind of workplace sexual harassment, industry gender bias issues are not clearly understood, universally accepted or easily fixed, according to 1,248 respondents in ENR’s first survey on the subject By Debra K. Rubin, Janice L. Tuchman and Mary B. Powers, with Eydie Cubarrubia and Mark Shaw

Since the #MeToo movement, “I am seeing a heightened sense of awareness, and leadership speaks more openly about the realities of harassment. [Still], it has taken some time for people to feel safe coming forward.” —Black female human resources professional, age 46-60

“I was fired for being gay after 10 years of managing the office … and was threatened [that it would] ruin my career if I told anyone. After many years, I finally started telling industry friends what happened. The AIA has only recently enacted a policy.” — 46-60-year old male West Coast architect

“Very rarely have I “As a high-level female engineer in management, I still get ‘patted’ on the experienced gender bias head and told to ‘play nice’ when I have a differing point of view. Reporting gender bias is a joke, as nothing is ever done to the offender. on a construction site. pervasiveWhy would I bother, as it results in subtle retaliation?” If you are respectful, —Female public agency technical professional, age 31-45 contractors have no issue working with women in a “The fact that we still have to explain to people position of leadership.” in 2018 that harassment is unacceptable —Female architecture is beyond sad. Dragging our feet on this, firm owner in Canada, and related issues, is a sign of age 31-45 “Upper management still

how behind the times this field is.”

their staffs in the architecture, engineering and contracting sectors are confronting issues and developing proactive solutions. It will publish an architecture-specific analysis in its November issue and online. The survey results indicate the extent of the industry’s problem, with some 66% of respondents reporting they have faced sexual harassment or gender bias in the workplace, and nearly 60% saying they have witnessed it. More episodes of unwanted physical contact or biased treatment are being acknowledged, getting reactions and generating workforce and management interest as employers struggle to create cultures that will keep critical talent in place, push needed diversity and build the future pipeline. These issues have appeared in ENR and Architectural Record long before the first revelations involving Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and hundreds of other business, media and academic leaders gained intense media attention last year. Accusations this past spring by multiple women of inappropriate contact and enr.com October 15, 2018

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