Plaza Construction, New York, has introduced gender-neutral "Men and Women at Work" signs believed to be the first of their kind in the city, according to the New York Post.
Plaza Construction began replacing "Men at Work" signs at the entrances to their job sites Sept. 4—a move that Plaza Construction CEO Richard Wood said is part of a "female-friendly initiative" that "encourages women to enter the industry by creating a gender-neutral workplace environment."
Ayesha Butt, 22, an apprentice electrician, said the new slogan helps fight the stigma female construction workers face.
"It makes people know there are females doing the job and getting into the field," Butt says.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the construction industry is more progressive than most regarding equal pay; although women nationally make only 80 percent of what men earn, women in construction earn 91.3 percent of what their male counterparts earn.
In 2017, women accounted for 9 percent of the national construction workforce and 7 percent of the New York workforce. Plaza Construction says women account for 25 percent of its workforce.
The Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and Professional Women in Construction were unaware of any other gender-neutral signs in the city.
