The Reluctance of a Self-Selected Cohort of Construction Managers in Ireland to Report Work-related Stress.

Workplace stress in the construction sector is reported to have negative implications for employees and work practices. Although much literature exists on workplace stress, one relatively unexplored area within the field, is the reporting of stress-related concerns. This study investigated the hesitancy to report workplace stress from a sample of construction managers in Ireland. Using semi-structured interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis, 25 construction managers were interviewed about their reluctance to report workplace stress to their employers. Participants noted an inability to report workplace stress due to fear, stigma, and possible repercussions. The main causes of this workplace stress reported by participants were interpersonal conflict, bullying, deadlines, workload, penalty clauses, shortages, costs, communication, quality issues, and delays. A reluctance to report these stressors was also found to exacerbate workplace stress as well as contribute to a sense of mistrust. This study as well as the current literature on workplace safety demonstrates that many cases of stress-related ill health currently go unreported. Employee hesitancy to report psychosocial stressors represents an important barrier to improving workplace safety in construction. Therefore, to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of Irish construction managers, further research into pragmatic stress risk management interventions is required.