In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Executive Order 11246 through the U.S. Department of Labor, prohibiting employment discrimination in federal contracts based on race, religion, or national origin. In 1967, the order was amended to include protections based on sex and gender.
On November 21, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) released a new guide aimed at addressing sex and race discrimination in the workplace, with a specific focus on the construction industry. The guide is available here.
The guide provides detailed examples of workplace harassment frequently reported on construction sites. These include behaviors such as:
- Passing off derogatory remarks about a protected characteristic as “playful banter.”
- Displaying written derogatory remarks related to a protected characteristic at the jobsite.
- Neglecting to maintain women’s restrooms to the same standard as men’s, contributing to a hostile work environment.
- Criticizing someone’s participation in a job or industry because of their sex, implying they do not belong.
- Using racial slurs and derogatory nicknames.
The guide also emphasizes the broader impact of harassment on jobsite safety and productivity. It notes:
“Harassment can also have a safety, health, and economic impact on a construction site in general. For example, since construction work is sometimes dangerous and requires the work of a team, harassment can endanger the well-being of more than the direct victim of the harassment.”
To combat workplace harassment, the guide recommends best practices such as:
- Educating employees on what constitutes harassment.
- Clearly communicating a zero-tolerance policy.
- Establishing formal procedures for reporting, investigating, and addressing harassment.
This resource underscores the critical role of fostering an inclusive and respectful workplace to ensure safety and fairness for all employees.
For more information, contact Mary Zimmerman at maryz@iastate.edu or 515-450-1278.