ABSTRACT
The construction industry is a tough work environment and many job demands known to be the source of strain are likely to be pertinent to people engaged in construction work. Construction industry workers at all levels (i.e. professional/managerial, supervisory, skilled trades and unskilled labourers) are accountable for the delivery of projects that provide hazardous work conditions as well as high levels of risk should time, cost and quality target not be met. Construction organisations also operate in a highly competitive contracting (and multi-tiered sub-contracting) market completing construction projects within tight deadlines. If these deadlines are not met then companies are exposed to considerable penalties so work hours are frequently long and at times irregular. Many construction roles require employees to work regular weekends, which previous research shows to be linked with job stress, burnout and health problems (Jamal 2004). Furthermore, the construction industry is project-based, so continuity of employment is not assured. In this context, workers’ concerns about their long-term job security require them to work extremely hard when work is available, while concerns about market downturns are ever present. In some countries, where populations are geographically dispersed, construction industry workers may be required to re-locate frequently in order to remain in employment, placing additional pressures on families who choose to move, or requiring extended periods of living away from home.
