This working paper was written based on the opinions, perceptions and contributions of a group of construction workers in Paraguay who participated in the LabMTESS Learning loop on Formalization of Employment in the Construction Sector, and who, for various reasons, find it difficult to access official social security programs. It adresses the following questions: What does employment informality mean for informal construction workers?, What social norms regulate their sector in the absence of formal regulation?, and what security strategies do informal workers incorporate as alternative measures to social insurance?