Site Amenities and Workers' Welfare Factors Affecting Workforce Productivity in Indian Construction Projects

The issue of low productivity has remained a very serious and chronic problem in construction projects. While previous studies have identified several factors that cause low construction productivity, factors related to site amenities and labor welfare measures have not received enough attention. This paper encompasses factors related to site amenities and labor welfare that directly or indirectly affect productivity of the construction workforce. Factor analysis conducted on 151 responses associated with 38 identified site amenities and labor welfare attributes identified eight factors: (1)health and medical provisions, (2)site services, (3)labor camp facilities, (4)hygiene and sanitation, (5)leave and benefits, (6)social welfare and employment policies, (7)remuneration, and (8)accommodation facilities. One-way ANOVA was performed to compare the views of the engineers and supervisors. Furthermore, data were collected from five different construction sites to assess the quality of the prevailing conditions of site amenities and labor welfare and its implications for labor productivity. It was found that the major reasons leading to poor quality of site amenities and labor welfare are related to improper letters of intent (LOIs) and delays in land acquisition for setting up proper labor camps. The outcome of this study is likely to direct more research and organizational efforts in this direction, especially in the context of developing countries such as India, where work and living conditions of construction workers have yet to receive the required attention of both policymakers and project stakeholders.