From planning pizza parties to decorating chill zones, are the ladies doing it all — even at work?

“I was pressured into creating a greeting [card] for some occasion because it just wasn’t getting done. Even with a plethora of other work, I was forced to do it. I broke down and was like “Why is this important right now? I just can’t do this, I’m sorry,” shares Mumbai-based content manager Suhasini, who has a decade-long career, about an incident at her previous job. Shivisha*, who works at an early-stage venture capital fund in Bengaluru and also has over a decade of experience, agrees, “I got the chill-out area designed, supervised the installation and got cutlery. It was annoying and it ate into my regular work hours.” Sounds familiar? These women were given office housework or non-promotable tasks, largely because they were women.

According to a Forbes.com article that cites a few studies, women are more likely to be approached to take on such tasks. A book titled The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women’s Dead-End Work dives deep into this practice. It explores how women across industries are saddled with ‘non-promotable work’, and how they can level the playing field.

We’ve all been there or heard of it. Enthusiastically planning Diwali parties, not-so-enthusiastically creating PPTs summing up off-site learnings, joining committees and so on. We explore whether women get more office housework, how to say no and turn it into visible work.

What are invisible tasks and do women get more office housework?

Invisible tasks, logistical errands, office housework — some inane, some administrative and some that ensure the wheels of the workplace keep turning. Invisible tasks include work a person does that is often unseen, unrecognised, and unpaid — it doesn’t contribute to company revenue or personal career goals.

Vasudhaa Ahuja, a career transition coach whose goal is to help early to mid-career individuals develop a healthy relationship with their work life, shares an example, “Visible tasks are those that you’ve been assigned to for your projects and have a tangible outcome. Invisible tasks are not relevant to projects but take effort, and emotional and mental bandwidth nonetheless (organising events, stocking coffee corners, doing inventory, taking notes).”

And someone’s got to do it. In the past, men have been the “bread winners”, leaving women to take on domestic work. While we’ve progressed, an article in the Guardian says the subtle gender bias continues to creep in at work. According to Harvard Business Review, women are asked to volunteer for these invisible tasks 44% more often than men.

While global data points at women taking on more office housework, stats from the Indian workforce are woefully unavailable. Casual chats reflect this unspoken trend being real, but people are reluctant to openly admit biases.

How office housework affects junior and senior management differently

Both Suhasini, and *Shivisha agree that as juniors, they had to ‘grin and bear’ it. They didn’t want to come across as ‘difficult’ or unable to manage their workload.

As their careers progressed, the mental toll non-promotable tasks took on them ensured they changed course. That is, they learnt to say no, helping other women do the same, and switching the narrative to use invisible work to hone different skills.

As senior management, Suhasini has a ‘delegating upwards’ policy, “I make sure logistical work is balanced. The team can give the task to me.”

Women in the workforce on how they feel about invisible work and saying no

1. Understanding how it feels: Ahuja says the first step is facing the emotions you feel while showing up professionally at work.
   
   – Dealing with anxiety from having too much logistical work: To get clarity on your capacity and boundaries, assess your current bandwidth to take on logistical tasks. Work on your prioritisation, break down your to-do list, and rank your tasks based on urgency and the ability to delegate them.
   
   – Grappling with guilt from being unable take on these tasks: Have self-compassion, says Ahuja. “Your professional life is a marathon, not a sprint. Understand what’s possible,” she advises. Focus on solutions rather than on the guilt.
   
   – Being afraid to say no: If you worry that you’ll be typecast as someone who is ‘not a team player’ and ‘unable to handle the workload’, asserting yourself is key. Hear what Delhi-based Rupha Ramani, a sports editor with more than 18 years of experience, has to say, “There are fewer character buckets women get put into, compared to men, at the workplace. For women, it’s two extremes — being too compliant or too intimidating. Go for the latter. Being compliant can get more people to like you, but being assertive will make you a better professional.”
   
   It starts with you recognising and honouring your limits — and being steadfast when refusing non-promotable work.
   
2. Communicating boundaries: Suhasini explains, “Unless you say what’s on your mind and seek solutions, you will not find them. Your boss can help you reprioritise. If he/she says no, you have to do it, then you know you’re at the wrong place.”
   
3. Taking on ‘office housework’ during work hours: Says *Shivisha, “I never stayed on after hours to deal with admin work. When asked why I didn’t get to other tasks, I started saying, ‘I’m a bit caught up. What on my task list do you want me to de-prioritise to address this?’ That puts things into perspective.
   
4. Walking the fine line between being taken for granted and saying no too often: Ahuja explains that often, certain tasks fall into a grey area, so get clarity from your boss/HR whose purview this falls under.
   
   Assess each request and the impact additional tasks will have on your workload. Then decide whether or not you can do it. Track the nature of the tasks and who is repeatedly asking you to do them — if it’s a pattern, ask for them to officially be made part of your role and advocate for remuneration that reflects that or a designation change. If seniors do not accept your refusal, negotiate a trade-off — one task for another, or suggest someone else who can take it on instead.
   
   Remember that accepting a certain number of tasks to create goodwill helps you network and build relationships.
   
5. Saying no, effectively and graciously: Ahuja’s cheat sheet for nervous Ninas who can’t find the right words:

• Start on a positive note, offer thanks for the opportunity and acknowledge the importance of the task.
• Provide context, explain your current workload and what is currently your priority.
• Express your reluctance to do the task, diplomatically, and that you can’t accommodate it at this time.
• Offer solutions and alternatives.
• Reiterate your commitment to contributing to the organisation, your inability to take on this particular task and willingness to take on another task that comes along when you have the bandwidth. This is so your refusal is set in stone and you end on a positive note.

Making the most of invisible tasks and turning them into visible work

While it may seem that office housework has no professional consequences, it can. For Suhasini, it helped build interpersonal relationships and for Shivisha, it created goodwill as a new joinee.

You become that person who “knows a guy who knows a guy who can help”, which, in our jugaadu world, is crucial.

Ahuja brings an interesting perspective to light. Logistical tasks may expose you to work that gives you greater joy than your current role, or imbue you with skills, such as money management, creative thinking, dispute resolution or communication, for an entirely different profession.

Practically, she explains how to turn invisible tasks into visible ones, “If you manage inventory, document the current process and create a SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). Highlight areas for improvement and make propositions for improvement. Start implementing the new system and suggest it’s usage across departments.”

*Name changed to protect privacy