The Culture We Walk Past: Why Bystander Silence Has to End

There is a kind of silence on construction sites that does not get talked about enough.

It is not the good kind.

Not the satisfaction at the end of a long shift when the last roller shuts down and the mix cools beneath your boots.

It is the silence when someone gets singled out, pushed past their limits, and no one steps in.

Everyone sees it.

The way certain people are tested harder.

The way respect is withheld, like it has to be earned twice over.

Sometimes it is loud. Sometimes it is subtle.

But the silence around it, the choice to say nothing, is what does the real damage.

I was reminded of that recently when someone shared a story with me.

A young woman, just twenty years old, new to the industry, working alongside a crew on a trench in-fill.

The job itself was straightforward. About 150 meters of trench, 450 millimetres wide, filled by bobcat and spread by hand.

But the foreman decided it was the perfect chance to “teach her a lesson in toughness.”

While he sat in the machine, he dumped pile after pile of asphalt along the trench and told the rest of the crew to stand back and leave her to it.

She was made to shovel tonne after tonne on her own while he shouted from the seat, “Pick up the pace,” “Let’s go,” and “My grandmother shovels better than that.”

And everyone else?

They watched.

Not because they agreed.

Not because they thought it was right.

But because it was easier to say nothing.

That is what bystander silence looks like.

It is not just an awkward moment.

It is a message that says, “You are on your own here.”

And it sticks.

I have seen it time and time again.

Behaviours like this are brushed off because the person behind them is skilled.

An experienced hand.

Someone who knows their trade well.

Too often, it is minimised.

It is dismissed as “just old school thinking” or “a bit of harmless banter.”

The real impact is overlooked.

The way it makes people feel isolated, disrespected, and unwelcome is ignored.

And so the behaviour continues, unchecked and quietly accepted.

But every time we look the other way, we send the same message.

That skill matters more than respect.

That experience matters more than decency.

And if that is the message we are sending, we should not be surprised by the culture we end up with.

If we are serious about building better sites and stronger crews, it has to start in the small moments.

The moments where no one is watching.

The moments where it is easier to look away.

Real leadership is not about being the loudest voice or the best on the tools.

It is about setting a standard.

It is about choosing to step in, even when it is uncomfortable.

Because safety is not just about high-vis and hard hats.

It is about the culture we build and the behaviours we are willing to confront.

Every single one of us has a part to play in that.

No one gets to stand back and stay silent.

But it cannot just be left to individuals on site.

Companies have a responsibility too.

I have experienced firsthand what it feels like to report these kinds of behaviours, only to see no real action taken.

I have heard countless stories from others who went to HR hoping for support, only to watch the behaviours continue or even get worse through retaliation.

When complaints are brushed aside, when there are no consequences, when silence is met with more silence, the message is clear.

This is just the way things are.

It is time to put an end to it.

Accountability matters.

It sets the boundaries for what is acceptable.

It shapes the culture of the crew.

It tells people whether they will be backed, or left standing alone.

If we want safer, stronger, more respectful worksites, we have to stop pretending that skill or seniority excuses bad behaviour.

We have to mean it when we say that respect is non-negotiable.

And we have to start showing it, not just in our words, but in our actions.

Because the culture we walk past is the culture we accept.

And it is time we stopped accepting it.

Written By:

Ash MacMahon - Co-Founder & Field Director