When Leadership Fails: Harassment Risks in the Construction Industry

Introduction

The construction industry is fast-paced, high-pressure, and requires strong leadership to ensure both productivity and safety. When leadership is weak, however, the risks of harassment in construction rise sharply. Workers can feel ignored, belittled, or unfairly treated, and this toxic environment may escalate into workplace violence. In this blog, we examine a mid-sized construction industry employer with 150 employees, where the owner’s son is placed in charge despite lacking the skills to manage effectively. We will look at how this scenario reflects issues across construction workplaces, explore the Canadian workplace harassment laws, and provide examples of when behaviour crosses the line from poor management to workplace harassment Canada concerns.

Scenario: The Owner’s Son in Charge

A construction company with 150 employees specializes in projects such as HVAC and plumbing installation. The owner’s son, Jake, is promoted to supervisor. While technically skilled, Jake lacks leadership experience:

• Favouritism at work: Friends are given the most desirable assignments, while others are left with unpopular shifts.
• Poor leadership under pressure: When deadlines slip, Jake shouts at crews instead of guiding them.
• Avoidance of issues: Employees quickly learn that bringing up concerns only leads to more frustration, so they stop reporting problems altogether.

Although these may appear to be issues of inexperience, they create a climate of fear and frustration that borders on construction industry workplace bullying. Over time, workers feel powerless and disrespected, leading to low morale and high turnover.

When Poor Leadership Becomes Harassment

Not all bad management is harassment, but under Canadian workplace harassment laws, harassment occurs when conduct is repeated, unwelcome, and likely to cause humiliation, offence, or psychological harm.

What Constitutes Harassment, Bullying, and Violence in the Construction Industry

To make it clear, here is a list of behaviours that cross the line under Canadian workplace harassment laws. These examples are frequently seen in harassment in construction workplaces:

Harassment

• Repeated insults, ridicule, or name-calling.
• Yelling or swearing at workers in front of others.
• Spreading rumours or gossip about employees.
• Favouritism at work where assignments or promotions are given unfairly.
• Excluding or isolating employees from meetings or jobsite activities.
• Retaliating against workers who raise safety or performance concerns.

Bullying

• Intimidation, threats, or aggressive body language.
• Constant fault-finding or imposing unrealistic demands.
• Setting workers up to fail by withholding information or tools.
• Undermining confidence with sarcasm or dismissive remarks.
• Repeated micromanagement designed to frustrate or embarrass.

Workplace Violence

• Verbal threats of physical harm.
• Throwing tools, equipment, or other objects.
• Pushing, hitting, or other physical aggression.
• Sabotaging property or damaging tools.
• Behaviour that causes workers to fear for their safety.

These behaviours highlight why workplace violence prevention must be a core part of any respectful workplace program in the construction industry.

The Link Between Harassment and Violence

The construction industry has unique risks. Crews work under pressure, on strict deadlines, and often in physically hazardous environments. Adding harassment in construction to that mix creates conditions for conflict to escalate. Examples include:

• Yelling that turns into threats.
• Workers retaliating against unfair treatment by damaging equipment.
• Escalating disputes that lead to physical confrontations.

A respectful culture is therefore as important to safety as personal protective equipment.

The Canadian Legislative Landscape

Federally Regulated Employers

The Canada Labour Code and the Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations (Bill C-65) apply to federally regulated workplaces. Employers must:

• Have written harassment and violence prevention policies.
• Conduct workplace harassment and violence risk assessments to identify hazards in their industry and workplace.
• Deliver harassment and violence training that is relevant to your industry to make it relatable to all employees.
• Provide confidential reporting options.
• Investigate and resolve incidents in a timely manner.

Risk assessments are especially important in the construction industry, where the fast pace, high-pressure environment, and hierarchical structures increase the risks of harassment, bullying, and violence.

Provincial and Territorial Employers

Most construction industry employers fall under provincial law. For example:

• Ontario: The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to develop policies, provide training, and protect workers from harassment and violence. Employers must also conduct risk assessments to determine the harassment, and violence hazards their workers face. These must be reviewed regularly to ensure prevention measures are effective.
• Alberta: Defines harassment as objectionable conduct causing humiliation or offence. Employers must implement policies and procedures to identify and control risks.
• British Columbia: Requires employers to establish harassment and violence prevention policies, train supervisors and workers, and assess the risk of violence in the workplace.

Across Canada, the obligation is clear: employers must take reasonable steps to prevent harassment and violence, and that includes conducting and documenting workplace harassment and violence risk assessments.

Best Practices for Construction Employers

For companies with more than 100 workers, leadership challenges must be addressed quickly. Recommended practices include:

1. Provide leadership and HR training Canada for supervisors promoted through family ties or technical skills.
2. Develop clear harassment and violence prevention policies with examples relevant to the construction industry workplace bullying risks.
3. Conduct workplace harassment and violence risk assessments regularly to identify hazards unique to the industry and workplace.
4. Encourage confidential reporting to ensure employees feel safe.
5. Investigate complaints promptly and fairly with impartial investigators.
6. Address favouritism at work through accountability and transparent assignment systems.
7. Support a respectful workplace with access to counselling or EAPs.
8. Reinforce respectful workplace culture through ongoing one-to-one sensitivity training and development.

Conclusion

When the owner’s son, Jake, is placed in charge of 150 employees in the construction industry, the risks are amplified. What seems like poor leadership or favouritism at work can quickly escalate into construction industry workplace bullying and even workplace violence. Canadian legislation makes it clear that employers must take proactive steps, including workplace harassment and violence risk assessments, to protect employees from the hazard of harassment, bullying, and violence. By providing HR training Canada, implementing policies, and fostering a respectful workplace, employers can meet compliance obligations and build healthier workplaces.

Take Action

Is your construction workplace struggling with leadership challenges or harassment in construction concerns? SensitivityElearning.com now offers a One-to-One Sensitivity Training solution online for individuals or groups. This customized program builds communication skills, clarifies legal responsibilities, and supports workplace violence prevention by reinforcing respectful workplace behaviour. Invest in one-to-one sensitivity training today to create a safer, healthier, and more respectful construction workplace.