Half of Quebec’s construction workers with children have problems balancing work and family, according to a new study published in January.

They are men and women among the 45 per cent of construction workers who say their work has a negative influence on family life. All those surveyed had either kids or a family member who was sick or elderly to take care of.

Jobs in construction “are characterized by unusual schedules, difficult work conditions and a masculine culture in which physical strength and high availability are valourized,” according to the study. Two-thirds (63 per cent) of respondents “reported having a big or very big work load.”

Those who claimed to have problems balancing work and family often suffered from “worse physical health” and “greater emotional exhaustion, which is an important indicator of psychological health.”

This situation may also contribute to the labour shortage in the sector, according to the authors of the article, Mélanie Lefrançois and Mélanie Trottier, two professors at UQAM’s École des sciences de la gestion.

“Work-family conflicts seem to affect the job satisfaction of men and women,” they observed. “This is shown by their intention of quitting, or even leaving the industry.”

Men are much more likely to want to leave for this reason. Men “have more of a chance of holding positions that require working outside, that are more affected by seasonal labour and that require working long and unpredictable hours. They are also expected to work mandatory overtime.”

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