Why is this study being undertaken?
In general, construction workers have lower levels of mental health1, more psychological distress2, and worse physical health and injuries3 than the general population.
Research by UNSW in 2016 found that mental health was a significant issue for many construction workers.
Stress, fatigue, sleep issues, stress related health issues, substance use and anxiety attacks were reported side effects. Rigid workplace practices such as long work hours, high work load, and the expectation that workers are always present and always available to work were found to have a significant impact on mental health and led to men and women working in construction experiencing anxiety and depression.
This research is being undertaken to understand whether a compressed five-day work week will alter the wellbeing of construction workers and their families.
While research has shown that a five-day work week results in the improved wellbeing of construction workers, the research was collected post hoc after the event. To date, there has been no research on the impact a five-day work week has on the wellbeing of construction workers partners and next of kin.
The Concord and Liverpool Hospital Projects are both operating a five-day week while the Mount Street Project, which is operating a six-day week, is being used as a control group. This means we will compare the data from Concord and Liverpool projects to the data from the Mount Street project.
We will also be comparing the data we collect with available national data sets, such as the Census and the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey.
Why am I being asked to take part in this study?
You are being asked to take part in this study because you are a construction worker or next of kin/partner of a construction worker on the Concord Hospital Project, Liverpool Hospital Project or Mount Street Project.
Your participation is voluntary. Your participation is valued.
What kinds of things will I be asked about in this study?
If you decide to take part in the project, you will be asked to complete online surveys that will cover things like:
- Information about yourself: your age, sex, who you live with, your salary;
- The amount of hours you (or your next of kin) worked before starting at the Concord/Liverpool Hospital or Mount Street Project and the amount of hours worked now;
- Some general questions about your wellbeing and satisfaction with parts of your life;
- If and how construction work demands impact on you and your family.
If I decide to participate, does that mean my next of kin or partner must as well?
No, although we encourage the next of kin or partners to participate, this project is completely voluntary for both construction workers and their next of kin.
What will you do with the information from this project?
We will use the information to measure the effectiveness of the five-day work week on worker and next of kin wellbeing, site productivity and safety. We will use the information you provide us to make recommendations to the construction sector that aim to improve the wellbeing of construction workers and their families.
We will develop de-identified and generalised reports with the findings from the project.
Who has access to my information and where is it stored?
Your responses will be strictly confidential and only accessible by members of the University of New South Wales research team. Responses to the online surveys will not be linked to any personal or identifiable information held by Roberts Pizzarotti.
All information collected will be stored securely on databases held at The University of New South Wales, Sydney. The data will be securely and confidentially stored for a period of 5 years after the first publication before being destroyed.
Will Roberts Pizzarotti receive my information?
Roberts Pizzarotti will receive de-identified information from the responses to the online surveys and interviews. All information will be grouped together. This means no one, including Roberts Pizzarotti or even researchers from the University of New South Wales, can identify anyone from the grouped data.
If I change construction sites or companies, will my future employer or site construction manager know I took part in this project?
No, your future employer or construction site manager will not know you took part in this project.
Do you have ethics approval?
Yes, we have ethics approval from The University of New South Wales, Sydney to conduct this study.
Contact Natalie Galea if you would like further information. Email: project5@unsw.edu.au
Who can I contact at Roberts Pizzarotti if I have questions or concerns about this project?
You can speak the Project Director on each site:
Concord Hospital Project Director, Jim Stavropoulos
Email: jim.stavropoulos@robertspizzarotti.com
Liverpool Hospital Project Director, William Service
Email: william.service@robertspizzarotti.com
Mount Street Project Director, Damian Vella
Email: damian.vella@robertspizzarotti.com
Where can I find support while participating in this research?
Mates in Construction 1300 642 111
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Men's Helpline Australia 1300 78 99 78
Lifeline 13 14 14
1800RESPECT 1800 737 732
Domestic Violence line 1800 656 463
More information about wellbeing and suicide prevention in the construction industry is available here.
I have problems loading the survey on the Roberts Pizzarotti app, what do I do?
Please contact the support service on the bottom of the app.
What happens if I change my mind and want to pull out of the study?
You are free to opt out of the study at any time. Simply click here.
I would like to know more about wellbeing in the construction sector, where can I find this research?
Contact the research team or check out the research below.
Mates In Construction‚ Research on suicide in the construction sector
Endnotes
1. Dong, 2018; Lim et al., 2017; Lingard and Turner, 2015; Powell et al., 2018)
2. Bowers et al., 2018; Jacobsen et al., 2013
3. (Choi et al., 2012; Dong et al., 2015; Lingard and Turner, 2017)