Former tradie who claims he was URINATED on as a teen apprentice lifts the lid on the 'toxic' industry - as other labourers share their own horror stories

Published: 06:16, 24 April 2026 | Updated: 06:28, 24 April 2026 A former labourer who claims he was urinated on as a 15-year-old apprentice has revealed why the construction industry is 'toxic'.  The former tradie, who is now a support worker, claimed the way tradesmen treated their apprentices was appalling, but had become normalised.  'You get all these older tradies that are so f***ed,' Mr Wallison said.  'All the tradies say "Oh, it's how I was treated as an apprentice", but that doesn't mean it's right.  'They wonder why there's a lack of apprentices now, but it's because the way they're treated is f***ed.' While Mr Wallison acknowledged there were some good bosses out there, he said the line had become blurred regarding what was appropriate.  'There's a difference between banter and actual bullying, to a point where it can psychologically affect the person,' he explained.  Mr Wallison told the Daily Mail he entered the industry when he was 15-years-old and suffered 'abuse' from colleagues on the daily.  A former labourer (pictured) claims being a tradie is one of the worst things young men could do because of the toll it takes on their mental health 'I was an apprentice for two years and did labouring for three,' he said. 'I was in the industry for a while and my mental health was the worst it had ever been. 'I dealt with a lot of abuse, I was constantly getting yelled at every day. I actually got urinated on by a colleague on the roof one time. 'It was a very toxic environment.' However, like many young apprentices, Mr Wallison said he let the incidents slide.  'I didn't report it because I was so young,' he said. 'Others don't because they're either scared to lose their job or are scared of being treated worse.' Aussies were quick to sympathise with the former tradie's experience.  'During my apprenticeship, I was spoken to and treated like s***,' one said.  'I love the point you make, saying that there's a difference between banter and bullying because there is.' Mr Wallison told Daily Mail being a tradie at 15 had a negative impact on his mental health 'You're not wrong mate, 27 years as a tradie and my mental health is cooked,' a second said.  'I got empty stubbles thrown at me and lit cigarettes flicked in my face to name a few,' a third person commented.  'Bosses and older people know they can manipulate younger people new to the trade and probably love the power trip,' a fourth said.  However, others said it depended on the employer.  'It depends who you work for and how good you are,' one person said.  'During my apprenticeship, I never got yelled at or bullied, just worked on my trade and got signed off as a third year.' 'It really just depends on who you work for,' a second agreed. 'It's a great industry, builds a lot of character and teaches you quite a lot on and off the site.' 'Saying trades are the worst industry for young men's mental health is a stretch. Every industry has pressure, corporate burnout, healthcare stress, tech layoffs, small business debt,' a third commented.  Mr Wallison lashed out at the toxic environment young tradies worked in, calling out the behavior and culture of the industry in a TikTok Indeed workplace psychologist Amanda Gordon acknowledged that some industries have a far greater impact on mental health than others. 'I think starting a new career can be difficult and tradies often start very young,' Ms Gordon told the Daily Mail.  'Some tradies are really supported and are helped in the workplace they're in while others are taken advantage of and paid really poorly. 'One of the things that is most likely to be stressful as a tradie is if there's a culture of masculinity and you're not that person.  'It could also be a strain if it's something everyone in your family always did but it wasn't your thing.' 'However, if you get through the early years, it can turn out to be wonderful.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.