How do employees cope with stressful work situations? Evidence from the Vietnamese construction context

Purpose This study aims to explore how construction employees cope with stress in their work. While numerous interventions target mental health in construction, little is known about the actual coping behaviors used by employees. This study helps bridge that gap by examining and prioritizing coping strategies through validated measurement tools. Design/methodology/approach Discussions with experienced practitioners were conducted to revisit the Ways of Coping Checklist (WCC) framework in the Vietnamese context. Data were collected from 185 employees working in the Vietnamese construction sector. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted to validate the measurement model. Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation (FSE) was then used to prioritize the coping strategies. Findings The results validated the application of WCC. Among the six coping strategies, self-care coping (ClSC = 4.194), problem-focused coping (ClPF =3.938), and blaming self coping (ClBS = 3.694) were the top three strategies preferred by construction employees. In contrast, seeking social support (ClSS = 3.266), wishful thinking (ClWT = 2.498), and avoidance coping (ClAD = 2.338) were the least performed coping strategies. Originality/value This study advances coping theory by extending the WCC framework by identifying self-care coping as a distinct dimension. The findings provide empirical evidence for a more comprehensive, context-relevant coping model in construction environments. In addition, the study provides practical insights for designing mental health interventions aligned with employees' natural coping tendencies.