Our Story
Built from the ground up—with Oregon workers in mind.
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Respect Works grew out of a challenge that Oregon’s construction industry could no longer ignore. For over a decade, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industry (BOLI) have partnered to stabilize Oregon’s construction workforce—recruiting workers historically underrepresented in the industry into high-wage careers in the trades.
Evaluations of workforce development programming told a consistent story: women and people of color were leaving the trades at higher rates that their white male counterparts—not because they lacked skill or commitment, but because of what they encountered on the jobsite. Disrespectful treatment, harassment, and exclusion were driving workers out of careers they had worked hard to enter.
ODOT and BOLI reached an important conclusion: diversifying the labor supply without changing jobsite culture was not enough. The pipeline problem was also a culture problem.
In 2022, ODOT and BOLI turned to the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at OHSU — one of ten nationally designated Centers of Excellence in Total Worker Health® — and commissioned faculty member Dr. Emily Huang (pictured left) to develop a scientific tool to measure respectful workplace culture in construction. The result was the Respectful Workplace Climate (RWC) Scale, the first scientifically validated instrument of its kind. Developed over three years through interviews with construction workers, safety personnel, and union representatives, and validated across more than 1,400 workers in multiple industries, the RWC Scale measures respect at three levels: organizational policies, supervisor behavior, and coworker interactions. It was introduced in a peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Business and Psychology in 2025.
In 2023, the partnership expanded. ODOT and BOLI contracted with the Institute to build on the RWC Scale by developing a full suite of training resources and tools — a platform that could help Oregon construction companies not just measure their culture but change it. That platform is Respect Works.
Developed by occupational health scientists, refined through real-world partnerships with Oregon contractors including Hoffman Construction, and shaped by ongoing input from industry leaders, union representatives, and workers across the state, Respect Works launches in early 2026. It is the only construction-focused workplace culture platform in Oregon grounded in peer-reviewed research and offered free of charge to Oregon-based construction employers.
Our Partners
Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences
Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at OHSU — Program developer and lead research partner. Home to the scientists, educators, and outreach specialists behind the Respectful Workplace Climate Scale and the Respect Works training program.
Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industry
Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industry (BOLI) — Co-founder and funding partner. BOLI has advanced workforce equity in Oregon construction for over a decade and co-developed the respectful workplace framework at the heart of Respect Works.
Oregon Department of Transportation
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) — Co-founder and funding partner. ODOT's Highway Construction Workforce Development Program sparked the initiative, and ODOT's continued investment has made Respect Works possible.
Ready to build a better jobsite?
Respect Works is free for Oregon-based construction companies. Get started today with a confidential workplace climate assessment