A low-promotability task is one that benefits the organization but is given relatively little weight in performance evaluations and promotion decisions, such as service tasks in a research-oriented university. ¹

Invisible chores of the workplace

Lowor non-promotable tasks are the drudge-chores of the workplace. Like laundry and washing dishes, they have to be done or some of the necessary functions won’t keep being, well, functional. Like grocery shopping and cooking, you don’t tend to notice when they’re done but you sure as fuck notice when they are not done.

…low-promotability tasks […] are tasks that benefit all group members but that each group member prefers someone else completes. ²

Like so many invisible yet time-consuming, energy-draining, and necessary household tasks, these non-promotable tasks at work are mostly done by women.

In a series of studies we find consistent evidence that women, more than men, perform such tasks. The difference arises both from demand and supply as women more than men are asked to perform such tasks and more frequently accept requests to perform such tasks. ³

I came across this terminology and research through Laura Vanderkam, a writer and researcher I’ve followed for years. In this article, she talks about a concept shared on her podcast by Laurie Weingart, who co-authored a book based on her research (with others) about this whole non-promotable tasks being done mostly by the women issue.

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How to fix it

There’s one key change needed: quit asking women to do these tasks more than men. The research is clear that women aren’t volunteering for these tasks; they’re being asked more often. So, here’s the fix: Stop Asking Them More Often.

A randomizer and/or thoughtful supervisor could solve this problem pretty fast.

However, it’s not exactly happening:

When women refuse requests to do unrewarded tasks, another female colleague often gets asked instead.⁴

As with every problem I encounter that’s insanely frustrating, big, entrenched, and discriminatory, I like to scream for a minute, throw a few things, curse, and then look at the power I have in the scenario. The core question: What part of this scenario is under my control?

I read an interview of three of the researchers, from 2017 when their paper was first published. Babcock (who initiated the club that turned into the research that became the book), said this:

It may not be good advice to tell women to say no because there may be backlash against them if they do. I think the change in our organizations really has to come from good bosses, as Maria said, that we have bosses that are going to allocate this work more equitably and not just ask the woman because she’s going to say yes.⁵

Five years later, it seems clear that the people in charge of making these requests, i.e., the bosses (who are still mostly men⁶) aren’t changing the pattern.

I know this may be shocking, but perhaps we can’t depend on the men.

What we can control

We can’t control whether we get asked to do non-promotable tasks. We can’t control whether, if we refuse an NPT, the supervisor turns arounds and asks another woman to do it. And we can’t control the punishments doled out⁷ for refusing to take on an NPT.

There’s a lot we can’t control. What we can control is how we respond to each request. Whether we say yes or no. Whether we keep our attention gathered and aimed at the work that is most valuable, or whether, late and soon / Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.⁸

References

Also: Why four scientists spent a year saying no