Silent Saboteur
- Morgan Hunter
- Feb 25
- 4 min read
The Impact of Invisible Labor in the Workplace
In this episode of Monster in My Closet, Anil and Morgan explore the topic of invisible labor—those administrative and emotional tasks that go unnoticed and unrewarded in the workplace. They examine how these tasks, disproportionately assigned to women and minorities, affect morale, career progression, and organizational culture. Anil and Morgan share personal anecdotes and provide actionable strategies to recognize and redistribute invisible labor equitably. They also discuss the importance of leaders reflecting on how they assign tasks and why this reflection is critical to fostering more inclusive and efficient workplaces. These show notes include the following:
"Gary sucks. Why am I fixing Gary’s problems so he can get promoted while I stay stuck?"
Key Takeaways
Identify Invisible Labor: Review your current tasks and ask if they contribute to promotable outcomes. If not, consider their necessity.
Analyze Requests: Before accepting a task, ask yourself why you were chosen and whether it aligns with your career goals.
Develop a Script for Saying No: Prepare responses for requests to take on non-promotable tasks, such as, “This task does not align with my role’s objectives; can someone else take it on?”
Track Patterns: Keep a log of non-promotable tasks you’ve been asked to do. Use this data to have a discussion with your manager about equitable task distribution.
Leaders Should Audit Assignments: Reflect on the reasons for delegating tasks. Avoid passing down non-promotable tasks that can be outsourced or automated.
Make Non-Promotable Work Visible: Suggest integrating such tasks into formal goals or performance evaluations for accountability.
Advocate for Role Clarity: Encourage the creation of dedicated roles for recurring non-promotable work, such as event coordination.
Establish Team Equity Practices: Rotate non-promotable tasks among team members to ensure fairness.
Educate Yourself and Your Team: Share research and statistics on the impact of invisible labor to foster awareness and dialogue.
Use Formal Channels to Address Issues: During team retrospectives, bring up tasks you recommend discontinuing.
"Never learn how to do something you don’t want to do for the rest of your life."
Solutions to ID and correct the problem
Conduct a workplace audit: Have employees list all tasks they perform, including those not in their job descriptions. Analyze the distribution of non-promotable tasks across gender and racial lines.
Recognize and value invisible work: Assign importance to tasks that contribute to company culture and team cohesion. Highlight contributions through internal and external communication channels.
Redistribute workload: Encourage more equitable distribution of non-promotable tasks among all employees. Rotate responsibilities for office housekeeping and social tasks.
Compensate for additional labor: Pay employees for participation in committees or employee resource groups. Offer bonuses or other rewards for taking on extra responsibilities.
Address pay disparities: Audit pay gaps with attention to gender and race. Consider implementing salary transparency to ensure fair compensation.
Promote awareness: Foster open discussions about invisible labor among colleagues. Educate managers and employees about the impact of unequal distribution of tasks.
Implement supportive policies: Develop clear guidelines for assigning non-promotable tasks. Create formal recognition systems for invisible work contributions.
Assess diversity and inclusion: Evaluate representation across all levels of the company. Ensure women and people of color are not concentrated in low-paying, low-ranking roles.
Provide resources and support: Offer training and development opportunities to all employees. Ensure adequate resources are available for tasks typically considered invisible labor.
Regular review and adjustment: Continuously monitor the distribution of invisible work. Adjust policies and practices as needed to maintain equity.
"Is this promotable work? If not, f*** off."
Research and Statistics
Women in mixed-sex groups receive 44% more requests for non-promotable tasks than men.
Women accept these requests 76% of the time, compared to men at 51%.
Women spend an average of 7.7 more hours per week on caregiving tasks than men, impacting their ability to take on promotable work.
The "second shift" of invisible labor contributes to gender pay gaps and limits women’s career advancements.
Women receive 44% more requests to volunteer for non-promotable tasks than men in mixed-sex groups. Full article
Women accept requests to volunteer 76% of the time, compared to 51% for men. Full article
Suggested Reading
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
The Second Shift: Working Families and the Revolution at Home by Arlie Russell Hochschild
Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live) by Eve Rodsky
Work Won’t Love You Back by Sarah Jaffe
Emotional Labor: The Invisible Work Shaping Our Lives and How to Claim Our Power by Rose Hackman
Our (In)visible Work: How Everyone Everywhere Experiences It Every Day
by Janelle E Wells and Doreen Macaulay
Invisible Labor: Hidden Work in the Contemporary World edited by Marion Crain, Winifred Poster, and Miriam Cherry
Wrap-up
Invisible labor continues to sap energy, morale, and growth potential from employees, particularly women and minorities. By addressing the inequities in task assignment, leaders and individuals alike can foster a more equitable workplace. Reflect on the work you take on and the assignments you delegate—your actions have the power to shape a culture where contributions are recognized, valued, and equitably rewarded. Let’s stop punishing efficiency and start promoting fairness.
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