The diamond-shaped signs are gender-neutral and feature the words: ‘Men and Women at Work’.
The firm began replacing its original ‘Men at Work’ signs in September 2018, and the motion has gained such a positive response from both men and women that it has since placed them across all its sites.
Chris Mills, chief operating officer for Plaza Construction says: “We’ve had men and women working on projects side by side, in all of the different roles you can play on a construction project, for as long as I can remember.”
Women account for one-quarter of the workforce for Plaza Construction, which is the seventh largest construction company in New York.
The company hopes to encourage more women into a typically male-dominated industry through the forward-thinking signs.
The new slogan helps to combat the stigma faced by female construction workers. It makes people know there are females doing the job and getting into the field”
In taking the first step to creating a gender-neutral workplace, Plaza Construction aims to make more women feel comfortable joining the industry when they might not have done so before.
Speaking to the New York Post, Ayesha Butt, an apprentice electrician says: “The new slogan helps to combat the stigma faced by female construction workers. It makes people know there are females doing the job and getting into the field.”
The issue of gender inequality in the construction industry is one that is being addressed globally. The National Association of Women in Construction is a UK organisation which is committed to encouraging individuals to pursue careers in the construction industry.
Its key targets are to shift focus from gender to ability, level the playing field across the industry and end stereotypes.
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