On a construction site, silence can be expensive. Workers who don’t feel comfortable asking questions, reporting concerns or admitting mistakes are less likely to speak up when something goes wrong. And when people stop speaking up, safety, productivity and morale can all suffer.
Increasingly, construction leaders are recognizing that creating physically safe workplaces also requires creating psychologically safe ones. Occupational health and safety manager and consultant DJ Stadnyk discusses why workplace culture plays such an important role in safety, communication and retention.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What’s the connection between psychological safety and jobsite safety?
DJ Stadnyk: A psychologically safe workplace is one where employees feel genuinely comfortable speaking up – whether they’re raising safety concerns, pointing out hazards, admitting mistakes or asking questions. In this kind of environment, workers don’t fear punishment, embarrassment or negative consequences for voicing their thoughts. Instead, they trust that speaking up is part of doing the job safely and effectively.
Can you share an example of what happens when psychological safety is missing from a jobsite?
Stadnyk: I once worked on a project where crews were making repeated mistakes that caused significant rework, as well as low morale. To address it, the superintendent and I would hold morning tailgate meetings to cover tasks and safety, and to encourage open communication that could improve the conditions. But the workers still weren’t speaking up.
Normally, after the meeting, the superintendent and I would head back to our trailer while the foreman took over, but after noticing the crew’s attitude dip even further after one of our meetings, I decided to stick around and quietly observe what was happening in the background to better understand why. Here, I witnessed the foreman begin yelling, swearing and berating the crew, which only deflated them further and made it clear why no one felt safe openly raising issues or concerns. His behaviour was undermining everything we were trying to build.
I initiated an intervention with the foreman through the superintendent and project management team. He was coached on expectations, the impact of his behaviour and why the “old school” leadership mentality based on disrespect is not how we grow as a team or a company. He admitted that this was how he himself had been treated early in his career.
Over the next month, as he changed his approach and began engaging respectfully with workers, the crew’s confidence grew, and we started to see a real shift in the site’s culture. Mistakes and incidents also decreased because workers were no longer afraid to speak up about what wasn’t working or to suggest improvements to the site conditions.
Does psychological safety in the workplace look the same for men as it does for women, or is it different?
Stadnyk: Psychological safety should be the same for everyone, regardless of gender. But workplace culture and experiences play a big role in how it affects people as individuals.
Women in male-dominated sectors like deep foundations may hesitate to “rock the boat” or raise concerns because they already feel highly visible in environments where few women work and are actively trying not to stand out. Speaking up can feel like drawing even more attention to themselves when they’re simply trying to fit in with everyone else. This can lead to staying silent even when they know something should be said, especially if they worry their concerns will be dismissed or judged by the crew and make it harder for them to feel like part of the team.
There’s uncertainty around how to acknowledge gender-specific experiences, while still maintaining a culture that feels fair, inclusive and practical for everyone – not just women.
For men, the hesitancy to speak up isn’t just about personal pride; a lot of times, it could be a vital survival tool shaped by defensive habits developed under previously aggressive, high-pressure supervision. When your past includes supervisors who screamed, threw tools or humiliated crew members, the brain quickly learns that staying silent is the safest option. Workers purposely stay quiet to avoid becoming the next target of a supervisor’s rage or an anticipated blowout when unexpected issues happen.
What are some of the most common challenges companies face when trying to build psychological safety in the workplace?
Stadnyk: One of the most significant barriers is leadership behaviour. When supervisors are approachable, patient and open to questions, people feel safe raising concerns. But if leaders are dismissive, rushed or use a negative tone, workers quickly learn that it’s often better to remain quiet. If workers believe that speaking up will lead to blame, delays or repercussions, they simply won’t use the reporting systems, regardless of how well those systems are designed.
And finally, past culture plays a huge role. In some workplaces, admitting mistakes has long been seen as a weakness and asking questions could be interpreted as not knowing your job. That history creates underreporting, even when companies are trying to move in a better direction.
What practical steps can construction companies take to educate their teams and build a strong psychological safety program?
Stadnyk: Companies need to first acknowledge that psychological barriers exist in the workplace. Employers must create an environment where every worker – regardless of gender or background – feels respected, heard and empowered to raise concerns without fear of embarrassment, retaliation or negative consequences.
A psychological safety program should be woven into daily operations and not treated as a standalone initiative. Leaders and supervisors must demonstrate respectful and inclusive communication. They need to actively encourage questions and concerns and respond constructively when concerns are raised. How management reacts in these moments will directly influence whether workers feel safe speaking up in the future to report an issue. Employees need to feel comfortable bringing forward concerns, and leaders at every level must maintain a culture of open communication, mutual respect and continuous improvement.
How do companies maintain a psychologically safe workplace when multiple contractors and crews with different cultures are working on the same project?
Stadnyk: Companies need to establish expectations before work begins. Everyone on site, regardless of employer, should understand that they are expected to report hazards, raise concerns, ask questions and exercise their right to refuse unsafe work.
If issues do arise, they should be treated as seriously as a physical safety incident. Companies must work with contractors to address the root cause and ensure behaviours actually change rather than simply reverting to old habits.
Why do you think psychological safety programs have been so slow to gain traction, and especially those focused on supporting women? What’s the holdup?
Stadnyk: Psychological safety is still a relatively new concept in many workplaces. For years, companies have focused almost entirely on physical safety because hazards, injuries and compliance requirements are easier to see, measure and – ultimately – mitigate. Psychological safety, on the other hand, is less visible, harder to quantify and more complex to address.
There’s also uncertainty around how to acknowledge gender-specific experiences, while still maintaining a culture that feels fair, inclusive and practical for everyone – not just women. Some companies may hesitate to recognize that women routinely face challenges their male colleagues encounter less often, such as being the only woman on a crew, facing greater scrutiny over competence, feeling excluded from informal team networks or dealing with gender-based comments or stereotypes. This potentially leads to concerns that raising these issues at all will create tension or division, even though the goal is to remove barriers and improve the work environment for everyone.
What advice would you give organizations that want to strengthen their psychological safety efforts for women? And why does this work matter in the first place?
Stadnyk: Start by not just looking at how psychological safety affects women, but how it impacts every group in your organization. When people feel safe to speak up without fear of reprisal, the benefits ripple across the entire workforce. When workers know they can raise concerns, ask questions and be heard without repercussions, they’re far more likely to stay and work for your company.
Silence may prevent conflict in the moment, but it can also allow hazards, mistakes and workplace issues to go unaddressed. When workers feel comfortable speaking up, asking questions and raising concerns, companies are better positioned to identify risks, solve problems and build stronger teams.
In an industry where silence can carry real consequences, creating a culture of trust may be one of the most important safety investments a company can make.