A female construction worker says she told one of her male counterparts exactly how she felt. It then resulted in her being assigned to sensitivity training for making him cry.
TikToker Juli (@juli.dayz) posted a video with her construction industry story on Sep. 7. In the video, Juli is lounging inside of a heavy-duty construction vehicle. The on-screen text reveals her predicament.
“‘Just be yourself,’” Juli wrote. “Well, I did and now I have to go to sensitivity training for making a grown man cry.”
Viewers React to the Construction Worker Story
In the comments, viewers noted the irony of a woman being assigned sensitivity training in an industry that is notoriously hostile to women.
“Maybe he needs to smile more?” joked one person.
A second person suggested, “Do more. You can probably make them all cry if you try harder.”
“Why did he bring his feelings to work?” asked a third user.
Another person said, “I don’t know the situation, but I’m going to assume you were in the right.”
Someone else wrote, “I say that’s an achievement. You need to get a sticker for your hard hat to mark the occasion.”
The Realities of Women in the Construction Industry
A 2022 survey of women across the construction industry found that a resounding majority enjoy their jobs. Not only that, but the number of women in the field is also growing. However, women still face a wage gap. Half said they’ve experienced discrimination at some point in their careers.
A U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission report published the next year paints an even bleaker picture of what faces women in the construction workforce. The EEOC found that many women, in particular women of color, are being shut out of the industry altogether. This is despite an overall worker shortage.
Last year, a construction worker posted to r/AskFeminists for advice on how to address sexism on the jobsite.
“I’ve been working in construction for about a year now, and a lot of the people I work with are older men,” they wrote. “Some of them are pretty chill, but there are sometimes ones who are just disgusting individuals the way they talk about women (and minorities in general).”
One person said, “It’s up to you. I worked manual labor for eight summers and found the same thing. I tried talking to a few of them about it and just found it opened me up to work harassment. So I kept my head down and shut my ears.”
@juli.dayz #funny #training #construction #bluecollar #Sensitivity ♬ original sound – ReadySetMusic
A second user offered a different perspective.
“What you can do is make it clear you don’t think it’s appropriate to talk in a work environment,” they wrote. “You can focus on wanting to keep the conversation professional and shut down the conversation when they get started. Depending on the structure of the company, you can report blatant discriminatory remarks to HR or a higher up. Though, be careful to make sure that the sexist isn’t in tight with someone important before you try this route.”
The Mary Sue contacted Juli via TikTok comment and direct message for comment.
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