Okay so maybe you’re not putting the hoover round and you don’t mind washing a few cups now and then but there is a serious message here and it’s about who is picking up the domestic load at work.
A disproportionate amount of women in the workplace are expected to pick up some of the more menial duties in and around the office and while it might not feel like a big deal it can actually be damaging to your career over time.
If you are a woman who regularly finds herself responsible for writing up minutes from meetings, serving on committees, organising the Christmas do, collecting for leaving gifts and making sure people sign birthday cards in the office - you might want to stop. Here’s why;
What do we mean by office housework?
How many times have you found yourself circulating a leaving card or rattling that envelope (virtual or otherwise)? I once lost my shit when trying to find out what 30 people wanted to eat for a Christmas meal, I was also trying to get a big project over the finish line. And before you ask, I know which was more stressful and it wasn’t writing a recommendations report.
Can you imagine a male counterpart chasing you for your dessert selection or choosing a leaving gift for Sandra from accounts? No? Why is that? Why do those jobs seem to fall to the women in the office? Do we do it because we want to help out? No, it's often because it's expected of us.
Non-promotable tasks
Non promotable tasks are tasks that are important to the organisation but won’t advance your career or get you promoted. Non promotable work is invisible. It doesn’t utilise the expert knowledge or specialist skills you have. A non-promotable task is any task or job that isn’t tied to the mission of an organisation or that you wouldn’t include in your performance review e.g a charity that focuses on generating revenue - any task that supports this will be promotable. Writing up a set of committee minutes is a non-promotable task, it's not going to directly advance the organisation or your career.
On the other hand, writing a research proposal will further both the aims of the charity and your career. You’re not going to get praise or recognition for picking out a leaving card for Bob from IT.
Anyone can do a non promotable task so why should skilled women get landed with them so often? It’s time to start turning down those non promotable tasks and the dead end work that benefits your team or employer but is unlikely to ever help you advance your career or nail your next performance review.
‘Tis the season to lose it over being the nominated ‘social secretary’ who wishes they hadn’t said yes yet again to organising the joy that is secret Santa… it’s enough to turn you into the Grinch!
Women are shouldering the burden of office housework and lower value tasks that can cause them to miss out on promotions and pay increases. There is not an industry where this isn’t a problem and it's hurting women’s careers.
Honestly, you don’t have time for it
“The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work” by Linda Babcock, Brenda Peyser, Lise Vesterlund and Laurie R Weingart found that on average women spent about 200 more hours on non promotable work each year than the average man. That’s equal to one month's worth of dead end tasks - based on a large consultancy firm and regardless of seniority. For junior women this comes at the expense of meaningful work with junior men spending 250 more hours each year on high value promotable tasks such as working with clients.
Why are we still doing it?
When women are asked they are more likely to feel guilty and say yes. And it’s not always as easy as just saying no. Women are expected to be helpful. A man who doesn’t help is busy, a woman is selfish.
There's a scene that comes to mind from the American version of the sitcom “The Office”. A new business has been formed and two of the office staff follow their manager to join the new enterprise. A young male temp, Ryan and the female receptionist, Pam. Both have ambitions to step up into a sales role in the newly formed business. The Manager lays a document on the desk between the two and asks for it to be photocopied. There follows a silent standoff. Both refuse to make the photocopy. Speaking directly to the camera later Pam says “I make that one copy and I become the girl who makes copies and then by the end of the day I’m receptionist again”.
This may be a fictional scene but it mirrors what's going on in offices every day all over the world. Women are expected to pick up the menial slack leaving more time for the male counterparts to deal with the serious stuff. Ryan later says “You’re just better at this stuff than I am” to which Pam replies “what, pushing a big green button over and over again?”.
How to avoid getting landed with office housework
If you’ve spotted a trend at work or you don’t want to organise the next office shindig here are some ways you can reduce the burden;
If someone asks you to volunteer, suggest a policy that involves taking turns - yes the jobs need to be done but why should you be the one landed with them all the time?
Be straightforward and honest - we can all be guilty of sugar coating stuff. If you feel women in your organisation are being singled out for dead end jobs then you should say so. Never feel guilty for being honest as long as you are respectful.
Don't apologise - unless you have something to apologise for of course, but don’t say sorry for being too busy with your work to go shopping for a retirement gift for the colleague you barely know.
Male allies have a duty to step in when they see it happening. Men should not only offer to help with tasks but also express to senior leadership their concerns about the imbalance when it comes to non promotable tasks. The more men who are seen to be organising the next leaving collection, the less these duties will be associated with women at work.
This isn’t a men versus women rant. If you have time for these things and you enjoy getting involved there’s no reason why you shouldn’t. This is really about a fair division of labour and women not feeling obligated or taking on an undue amount of responsibility that comes at the expense of their careers. If you’re having to choose between spending the time you have at work on responsibilities you’re not paid for or having to stay late to catch up on work, take that a sign it’s time to step back and let someone else step up.
I’m Amanda Owen Meehan, a Career and Leadership Coach who helps women get clarity and control over their careers to be more fulfilled and successful at work. If you’d like to know more about how I can help you achieve your career goals you can reach me by email at Amanda@wearereadytorise.com or drop me a direct message here on LinkedIn.
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