Interpersonal relationships are a common reason for resignation. Even on construction sites, there are likely many new employees who are troubled by tense relationships between site managers and workers.

It’s not the case at every job site, but site managers and workers are only human. Sometimes they just don’t get along.

In this post, I’d like to share a real-life experience I had where I was caught between the site manager and the workers.

The Uneasiness I Felt on My First Job Site

I entered the construction industry about eight years ago. I started working at the age of 23, and my first job was as a site supervisor for a general contractor on a river construction project.

I was assigned to the project while river construction was underway, but on my very first day, I noticed something off about one of the job sites.

The site manager "uses" me to give instructions to the workers.

As a newcomer, I thought that was just the way things were, but every time I went to relay instructions, I could hear the craftsmen tut-tutting.

"What about the director? He's got it good, doesn't he? Sitting in a cool place, tapping away at his computer?"

He said that in a rather forceful tone. Although I was taken aback, I continued to carry out my role of relaying instructions.

Realizing that I'm caught in the middle

As I kept this up for a while, my relationship with the craftsmen grew closer, and little by little, I found myself having more opportunities to have a drink and chat with them during breaks and other times.

During breaks, the site manager always starts venting about work.

"That director is a lost cause. He doesn't understand the field at all. You think so too, don't you?"

I didn't know how to respond. After all, as far as I was concerned, the director wasn't a bad person.

It was only then that I finally understood that the director and the craftsman were at odds with each other, and at the same time, I realized that the position I was in was a very restrictive one.

The fallout hit, and an incident erupted

One day, something happened that I simply couldn't forgive.

"Hey, we're short on supplies. Someone messed up the order!"

After the morning meeting, the craftsmen’s shouts rang out.

No matter how many times I checked, there was definitely a discrepancy with the design quantities. When I immediately checked with the site manager, he told me, “I’ll take care of it later.” When I returned to the site, the tense workers all started yelling at me at once.

"What the hell is going on! Go check with the director yourself! Don't mess with me!"

I felt the blood rush to my head. From my perspective, it felt as though he was taking out all his frustration—stemming from the lack of communication between the foreman and the workers—on me.

You don't have to put up with unfairness.

Unable to take it anymore, I decided to immediately report what had happened at the site to my supervisor at work. Once my supervisor learned of the situation, he took immediate action and arranged for me to be present at the site until things settled down.

As a result, once a higher-up from the general contractor showed up, the workers could no longer vent their frustrations to me the way they had been doing, and we managed to complete the project on-site without any major issues.

At the time, as a new employee, it took a great deal of courage for me to report what was happening on the front lines to company management, but I’m glad I did because it ultimately led to improvements in the work environment. If I had just kept putting up with the dissatisfaction on the front lines without taking any action, things would certainly have taken a turn for the worse.

――I think there are many new hires who find themselves caught between the site manager and the craftsmen on the job site like this. In extreme cases, I’ve even seen chaotic work sites where the young workers are made to take all the blame for mistakes and are forced to apologize.

The site manager is responsible for any problems that arise on-site. No matter what the issue may be—even if it’s a mistake made by a subordinate—the site manager is there to take responsibility.

Surprisingly, there are quite a few managers who don’t understand this, so even though it takes courage, let’s not forget to speak up instead of turning a blind eye. Just because you’re new doesn’t mean you have to put up with unfair treatment.

The God of Construction