Construction Law

Ghosting in the Construction Industry Part 2

In this six-part series, a Fort Lauderdale construction attorney at Cotney Attorneys & Consultants is discussing the modern day issue of employees that “ghost” their employer, meaning they walked off the job without giving any form of notice. In the first part of this series, we explained some situations when ghosting occurs. In this section, we will discuss two common reasons people leave their position without any communication: a healthy job market and the influence of tech culture.

The Impact of a Healthy Job Market

Although there are many reasons why an employee may suddenly quit showing up to work without notice, one major culprit that has emerged is a healthy job market. With unemployment at its lowest percentage in decades, it’s an applicant’s market. In other words, many workers have more employment opportunities than they ever had before in their professional career, so if they don’t like their current position, they may elect to venture out and find a better one.

This concept is even more prevalent in industries like construction as finding and hiring qualified, skilled laborers has become an extremely competitive market thanks largely to a skills gap shortage. If a worker is offered a better financial future at a different construction firm that immediately needs their services, their loyalty to their current employer may be compromised in the process.

Shifting Attitudes and Tech Culture

Another popular theory of why ghosting has become a more common issue is that the attitude towards walking off a job has changed from one generation to the next. According to a study performed by Clutch, “nearly half of job seekers (41%) believe it’s reasonable to ghost a company.” The study also revealed that “more than half of job seekers (55%) abandon 1-5 job applications during the job search.” As most modern day positions are filled through job apps and employment-related search engines, the face-to-face days of interacting with applicants during the recruitment and interview phase for a position is not as common.

In the modern day, many job seekers utilize social media, text messages, and sites like LinkedIn to make valuable networking connections and find their job leads. With a more impersonal approach to job hunting and the interview process, applicants prefer to avoid the awkwardness of a conversation with the company interviewing them so they ignore any communication. For many employees who recently started a position, the same concept applies. They elect to abruptly quit and move on instead of speaking with their employer.  

For more information on ghosting in the construction industry, please read parts three, four, five, and six.    

If you would like to speak with one of our Fort Lauderdale construction attorneys, please contact us today.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.