May 5, 2022

New Book Teaches Women to Say No to Office Housework

                   

Service work is a common feature of work, whether in academia, at a think tank, or in a general office setting. This work includes tasks like serving on a departmental committee, interviewing interns, or organizing an office party. Service work is essential to develop camaraderie and harmony in a workplace, but is often not considered when a worker is up for promotion. They are also called “non-promotable” tasks (NPTs), according to four authors of a recent book The No Club.

The book had its genesis in a group that has been meeting regularly and expanding since 2010, when the authors, Lise Vesterland, Brenda Peyser, Laurie Weingart, and Linda Babcock, all academics, first sat down at a restaurant to trade experiences about all the tasks that seemed to overwhelm their workdays. Unsurprisingly, as The No Club demonstrates these tasks often fall to women to complete, eating up time they might spend on work that would get them noticed by superiors who hold sway over career advancement. 

According to one study discussed in the book, women at a professional services firm, regardless of seniority, spent an additional 200 hours per year on NPTs than the median man. The authors note that women are more likely to be asked to do this kind of service work and also say yes more often. 

In addition to identifying just how much work lands on the shoulders of professional women, The No Club encourages women in the workplace to size up NPT requests and develop a perfect way to say no to work they don’t want to do and which won’t help them get ahead. They also stress that the burden should not rest with women alone, instead it is an institutional problem that needs to be addressed by entire organizations in order to divide up service tasks equitably.

AI and Compliance, Employers Brace for a Brave New World

March 16, 2023
No items found.
Over the last decade, more and more companies have utilized automated tools to aid in hiring, training, retaining. Historically, when practices and technologies are adopted rapidly, the law takes time to catch up and this is no different, with 2023 looking to be a year where companies are going to come under more detailed regulatory and compliance regimes focused on AI.

Elon Musk’s Public Mocking of Employee’s Disability Highlights the Importance of Reasonable Accommodations and Health Information Privacy

March 16, 2023
Disability Discrimination
Elon Musk mocked a Twitter employee for his disability and lack of clarity regarding job status, highlighting issues disabled workers face in the workplace.

Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Creates the Worker Protection Unit to Prosecute Wage Theft and Other Employee Harassment and Exploitation

March 16, 2023
No items found.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg Launches Worker Protection Unit and Stolen Wage Fund.

Get In Touch

Knowing where to turn in legal matters can make a big difference. Contact our employment lawyers to determine if we can help you.