By Distinguished Professor Helen Lingard & Dr Rita Peihua Zhang
Workplace jokes can build connections. But when humour becomes sexualised, discriminatory or humiliating, it can leave workers feeling excluded, affect their mental health and discourage them from speaking up. A survey of women in NSW construction reveals the impact – and what employers can do.
Women make up around 15% of Australia’s building and construction workforce, but just 3% of workers in construction trades. Government policies have sought to attract more women into the industry. Yet attracting women is only part of the challenge: creating workplaces where they feel safe and respected matters too.
For women who experience sexism, discrimination or harassment, the consequences can affect both their physical and psychological health. And sometimes, that behaviour is dismissed as “just banter”.
When the joke crosses the line
Banter and practical jokes are familiar features of construction culture. Humour can relieve tension, strengthen relationships and build a sense of belonging.
But it can also do the opposite. Sexualised jokes, put-downs and humour that singles people out can make workers feel humiliated or excluded. In some circumstances, this behaviour can constitute bullying or harassment.
In a survey of 337 women working in the NSW construction industry, 65% reported experiencing some form of workplace sexual harassment. These experiences were significantly more common among women in site-based roles than those working in offices.
The survey also found:
- 49% reported coworkers making sexual comments about another woman, or women in general, in front of them.
- 37% reported hearing coworkers talk about their sex lives at work.
- 37% reported coworkers frequently making unwelcome sexual jokes.
These findings raise questions about the behaviours being normalised in everyday workplace interactions.
What does unacceptable humour look like?
When asked to describe unacceptable workplace humour, participants commonly identified sexual and sexist jokes, alongside jokes about someone’s race, religion, sexual orientation, appearance or personal circumstances.
Their examples showed how personal and confronting these experiences could be.
One participant recalled being mocked for her “big butt”. Another described a manager laughing with a client about sexual harassment training he had attended. When she arrived at work, he directed a sexually explicit comment at her, presenting it as a joke.
In that example, training intended to prevent harassment became material for the behaviour it was supposed to address.
The impact lasts beyond the punchline
The effects of unacceptable humour did not necessarily end when the conversation moved on.
Among survey participants:
- 42% said it made them feel embarrassed.
- 35% said it caused them to avoid certain work situations.
- 30% said it negatively affected their mental health.
These findings suggest that workplace humour can influence how comfortable women feel at work, which situations they participate in and how they experience their working environment.
For employers, behaviour dismissed as harmless fun may carry consequences that are less visible than the joke itself.
Why women stay silent
Reporting unacceptable humour can feel risky, particularly when workers fear damaging relationships with the people they work alongside.
Among the 122 participants who indicated they had not reported their experience to their employer:
- 47% feared reporting would negatively affect their working relationships.
- 31% did not think they would be believed or taken seriously.
- 21% felt too embarrassed to report it.
These barriers make it harder for organisations to identify and address harmful behaviour. A lack of complaints may conceal a lack of confidence in the reporting process.
Clear policies are linked to greater confidence in reporting
Only a quarter of participants said their organisation had a formal policy addressing workplace banter. Almost half – 48% – said there was no policy, while 25% were unsure.
Participants were significantly more likely to say they would report unacceptable humour when their organisation had a policy addressing it. They were also significantly more likely to indicate that reporting produced positive outcomes.
These findings suggest that clear policies may help workers understand behavioural expectations and feel more confident about raising concerns. However, the survey does not establish that policies alone cause better outcomes.
What employers can do
The findings point to practical steps construction organisations can take to prevent harmful humour and improve how concerns are handled:
- Make expectations clear. Explain what respectful workplace behaviour looks like, including when jokes and banter cross the line.
- Communicate policies. Ensure workers understand the policies addressing unacceptable behaviour and how to raise a concern.
- Provide fair, accessible and transparent reporting processes. Workers need confidence that their concerns will be taken seriously and properly addressed.
- Equip managers to respond. Give leaders guidance on recognising and preventing bullying or harassment presented as humour.
Humour can be a positive part of construction culture. Protecting that role means recognising when it comes at someone else’s expense—and ensuring “just a joke” does not become a reason to ignore harm.
RMIT Distinguished Professor Helen Lingard is the Executive Director, Safety and Health Innovation Network, RMIT University and has more than 25 years of experience undertaking applied research in work health, safety and wellbeing in the construction industry. Helen’s research is undertaken in partnership with private and public sector organisations, industry associations and unions and involves extensive engagement with industry stakeholders.
Rita Zhang is an Associate Professor in Construction Management at RMIT University, Deputy Director of Construction Work Health and Safety Research @ RMIT, and a core member of RMIT’s Safety and Health Innovation Network (SHINe). She works closely with industry partners to deliver construction work health and safety research with strong practical applications.
