“Work-style reforms in the civil engineering sector began at the ”worst possible time.” “If things continue like this, the skill level of engineers will decline, and we’ll run out of good craftsmen” (from the “God of Construction”).
“The ”Civil Engineering Evangelist” Speaks Out on Work-Style Reform In April 2019, the so-called ”Work-Style Reform-Related Laws” went into effect. The main points include “caps on overtime work (45 hours per month and 360 hours per year, in principle),” “mandatory annual paid leave (5 days per year),” and “equality between regular and non-regular workers…”
A Plant Construction Site Rife with Corruption (From the God of Construction)
A Sense of Discomfort on the Job Site This happened a few years ago, when I was working as a safety officer at a plant construction site. At the time, the company I worked for had seven subcontractors, and there were always around 60 workers on site. Although I was meeting all of them for the first time, from the company’s perspective, the seven subcontractors…
Construction Management for Public Works: A Victim of the "Drawing Revision Hell" (From the God of Construction)
As a civil engineering construction manager working in the civil engineering industry, all my projects are public works. As a result, I’m one of the many victims caught in the endless cycle of drawing revisions that’s unique to public works projects. When I was younger, my senior colleagues told me over and over again, “Revising drawings is part of our job, so get into the habit of redrawing them yourself”…
The site supervisor is caught between the branch manager and the workers. I sure don’t want to be the one to take the brunt of it! (From the God of Construction)
Interpersonal relationships are a common reason for resignation. Even on construction sites, there are likely many new employees who struggle with tense relationships between site managers and workers. While this isn’t true of every site, both site managers and workers are human—and sometimes they just don’t get along. In this article, we’ll look at the friction between site managers and workers…
New Site Supervisors Get Tired Just from Being on Site (From the God of Construction)
“Just ”being there” comes with a lot of pressure. Do you all remember what it was like when you were new on the job? I had one colleague who joined at the same time as me in my department. We both graduated from college after four years and entered the architecture industry. At first glance, I looked like the type who would take my work seriously, while the other guy was a bit of a troublemaker…
People say, “Being a site supervisor is a grueling job,” but what exactly makes it so tough? (From the God of Construction)
Just How Demanding Is the Job of a Construction Site Supervisor? People often say that “being a construction site supervisor is a grueling job.” In this post, I’d like to touch briefly on what exactly makes the job so demanding. The Heavy Burden of Responsibility This is often mentioned, and I certainly feel it’s true…
General contractors who run around doing the client’s work and pass the tedious tasks off to subcontractors (from “The God of Construction”)
Just Pass the Tedious Work Off to Subcontractors This happened at a construction site for a general contractor where I used to work. I was in charge of construction management, and my job involved reviewing plans for upcoming work with my supervisor and preparing the necessary paperwork, such as progress inspections. At that time, a proposal came from the site…
A construction company that repeatedly carries out massive layoffs whenever its business performance slumps (from "The God of Construction")
I had been working as a construction manager at an overseas construction site, and after completing my one-year assignment, I returned to Japan the other day. It’s only been about a month since I came back, but it already feels like something that happened a long time ago. Strangely enough, the unpleasant memories don’t come to mind; most of what I recall are the fun times, the moving moments, and the things that impressed me…
A Story About the Resignation of a “Top Performer” That I Heard from the President of a Construction Company (From the God of Construction)
The other day, I heard a story from the president of a construction company about a young employee who had resigned. It was quite an interesting story, so I’d like to share it here. I’ve edited it slightly, but it’s, of course, a true story. A Special Talent with Skills in Both Construction and ICT The employee who resigned was about five years into the company, 24…