A report by MyWorkwear has highlighted issues in the construction industry that make it the least inclusive for women
The report shows that the number of women in construction, including electricians, plumbers, joiners, bricklayers, and carpenters, has declined in the past year after having improved by just 12% in the last decade.
The study shows that plumbing and electrical work are the worst offenders, especially in terms of pay gap.
Several issues for women in construction make it uninclusive
The key issues that the study found are making the sector unappealing for women are:
- Gender pay-gap: The electrician and plumbing profession had the largest gender paygap at a shocking 43%. Compared to retail and hospitality with pay gaps of 4.3% and 3.6%, this highlights a massive issue within the sector.
- Maternity pay: Electrician and plumbing professions again fall short with zero enhanced maternity pay. 9% of women in these sectors refuse to take maternity leave at all due to the “unliveable” rate of statutory pay. A lack of enhanced maternity pay in these sectors are contributing to this issue further.
- Menopause leave: Menopause leave is a relatively new workplace benefit for women, with half of the studied industries having some form of menopause leave in place. Again, electrician and plumbing fell short with no policy in place.
Female workwear is an under-discussed issue in the industry
A further issue for women in construction highlighted in the report is that of workwear tailored specifically for women.
Gayle Parker, commercial director at MyWorkwear, said: “Feedback often includes buttons gaping on the chest, either too tight of a fit or too loose, and we sometimes hear that buyers can mistake unisex for women’s fit or simply order a smaller size in a men’s fit. All of these design issues can impact how a woman feels in the workplace and their overall efficiency.
“Female workwear is regularly spoken about at industry events, which have led to improvements from some of our suppliers, but there is still a long way to go. Having spoken to women within male-dominated industries, such as construction and security, some aren’t even aware that female workwear options exist.
“To improve, workwear suppliers and industry leaders must work together and continue to speak to women within these sectors on how they can best be accommodated.”
