The way we work is changing, even the culture of construction workers has been overhauled from loose and wild to professional and rigid.
When builder Steven Sousamlis, 28, started his practice 10 years ago, the way he was treated was so off-putting that he wasn’t even sure if he should repeat it.
“I was abused all the time,” he told news.com.au.
“I’m not sure if I should say this, you probably can’t write it, but I’ve been called stupid worse than that…. just every name under the sun,” he said.
A decade later, he said that kind of treatment just wouldn’t “fly right now,” at least not on larger construction sites.
“I think there has been a big and necessary change in tradition [construction worker] cultural”, he said.
When he started he had to be “mentally strong” to survive the culture and learn how to “support” himself.
It wasn’t just learning how to do the job, it was also learning how to succeed when people were actively working against you.
Sousamlis said that despite the terrible treatment he endured, it taught him “resilience,” but he’s glad Gen Zers doesn’t have to endure it.
“As much as I hated it. It made me the person I am today,” he said.
“No one will put up with that nonsense now. It’s not good for your self-esteem and chasing after a child won’t get you the results you want.”
Now, if he saw someone talking bad to another person in the country, he would call him out immediately and would never treat someone he works with that way.
“You want to build a good work culture. Once you abuse someone, they won’t want to work for you or go any further for you,” he said.
Former construction worker Charlie Trewin has also noticed the cultural shift. He now works as a manager at Apprenticeships Are Us in Western Australia.
Trewin is now out of gear, but he’s noticed a lot less disruption on construction sites.
“It was common for practical jokes to be passed down over the years, which has changed now and the culture is focused around a more security-conscious and focused environment,” he said.
“For example stuffing someone’s work boots with expanding foam. You just wouldn’t get away with that now.”
He said the days of drinking beer with the boys during work hours are also over.
“Having a cheeky beer on a Friday afternoon in the workshop, which is now not acceptable,” he said.
“The culture used to be a louder, rowdier bunch who would want to drop out of school and get stuck into work.”
The former construction worker said the change has been good and has made the job “safer” for workers, but it’s not as exciting.
“It might be a little less fun,” he said.
Gen Z construction worker Dane McKay, 22, has only worked in the newer, more “professional” traditional culture.
“These days, the job is definitely more professional than people might think, but I can see why it has to be that way,” he told news.com.au.
McKay said he works with a great group of guys and they have fun, but “everyone is focused on their job.”
“They’re fun to work with, but we don’t really hang out outside of work, except sometimes for birthdays. I also don’t drink on call, so no beers outside of work,” he said.
The young construction worker said that when he hears stories from his uncle, who is also a construction worker, he can’t believe what it used to be like.
“It seems there were a lot more jokes than there are now. When I hear about some of the things that were okay back then, I can’t believe it. This is not the case now,” he said.
McKay thinks things have been too strict now, but he also understands why things need to change.
“I understand why it has to be that way. If there is an incident in another state, for example, we all have to have a meeting about it and I know why it has to happen,” he said.
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Image Source : nypost.com