Not <i>Just a Joke</i> : Women’s Experiences of Workplace Humor in the Australian Construction Industry

To increase the number of women in the construction industry, Australian government agencies have implemented policies requiring construction firms to employ women in publicly funded construction projects. However, little is currently known about how informal characteristics of construction workplaces interact with these policies. The research aimed to understand women’s experiences of humor and/or joking behavior in construction workplaces, the impacts of these experiences, and women’s responses to workplace humor. In doing so, the research also explored the implications of workplace humor for the effectiveness of current efforts being made to increase women’s representation in the construction workforce. An industry-based survey was undertaken of women working in the construction industry of New South Wales, Australia. This was followed up by in-depth interviews with women working in the construction industry. The survey was completed by 337 women. The results indicated that, although workplace humor can have a positive social function, women in the construction industry also experience humor that is sexist and/or sexual. For many women, this humor has impacts on their mental and physical health and results in them deliberately avoiding certain work situations. More than one-third of respondents indicated they do not report unacceptable humor if they experience it. Nineteen interviews were conducted, and the findings are consistent with the survey results. Women reported that sexist, discriminatory, or bullying workplace behavior is sometimes euphemistically labeled “humor.” Women seek to avoid this behavior, rather than challenge it, because they want to “fit in” to the workplace culture. However, exposure to such humor is detrimental to women and has the potential to undermine the effectiveness and impact of formal policies designed to increase women’s participation in the construction industry workforce. The findings have implications for construction organizations in relation to implementing strategies to address workplace humor culture to ensure that transgressive humor is not tolerated.