Will a 5-day week promote meaningful work-life balance in the Building and Construction Industry?

Project Member(s): Loosemore, M., Zaid Alkilani, S.

Funding or Partner Organisation: Master Builders Association
Master Builders Association

Start year: 2023

Summary: Poor work life balance has been identified as a problem in the construction industry by a number of studies with significant links to role strain between work and non-work lives, job stress and burnout, poor physical and mental health and well-being, depression and anxiety and high rates of suicide in the industry. These impacts can spill-over into family lives and wider communities and negatively influence work performance by lowering productivity, increasing safety risks, reduced attention to quality and negative effects on other work-colleagues. Working with the Master Builders Association as project sponsor the aim of this research project is to: To this end, the overall aim of the research is to explore whether a 5-day week will promote meaningful work-life balance in the B&C industry. More specifically, the following research questions will be explored: 1. What is work-life balance mean to people working in the B&C industry? 2. How does this vary across the workforce (age, gender, role, company size, sector etc)? 3. Based on these definitions, what is the current work-life balance of people working in the B&C industry? 4. How will moving to a 5-day week affect work-life balance? 5. What are the costs and benefits of moving to a 5-day working week (for individuals, companies and clients)? 6. What is the level of support for moving to a 5-day working week based on this evidence? Data will be collected using a mixed method approach which includes interviews with 80 industry stakeholders identified by the MBA and an online survey of its 8000 member data base.

Publications:

Loosemore, M & Zaid Alkilani, S University of Technology Sydney 2024, WILL A 5-DAY WORKING WEEK PROMOTE MEANINGFUL WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN THE NSW BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY? GIVING EVERYBODY A VOICE, NSW, Australia.

FOR Codes: Building organisational studies, Civil building management and services

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.