Housework hustle in the workplace - A gendered perspective
Definition of work: Actions that contribute to outcomes
Paid Work: Actions with outcomes that bring you a financial gain and contribute to the GDP of the country
Unpaid Work: Actions with outcomes without any monetary gain, but with qualitative gains such as happiness, cleanliness, fulfillment etc
Office Housework: Refers to the often undervalued and gender-biased tasks, such as event planning and administrative duties, disproportionately assigned to certain individuals. In essence, the work that does not get counted into one’s performance evaluation at the end of the year, but still requires conscious time and effort.
“In my career, I unexpectedly became the orchestrator of an offsite event, realising the prevalence of ‘office housework’ – tasks often falling on women. Reflecting on the experience, I observed a need to challenge traditional gender roles in task distribution. To change the default, we must discuss office housework, distribute tasks equally, and ensure fair and equitable patterns, acknowledging skills beyond traditional job roles.” – Amruta Choudhury, Co-Founder Breath Beings
For workplaces to be Inclusive, we need to create a culture where office housework is equitably distributed. Here are a few things that managers and employees can consciously
Here are a few examples of what qualifies as office housework
- Organising office events
- Office decor during festivals
- Arrangements for birthday celebrations, farewell parties
- General clean-up post-events
- Bouquets for chief guests – Wondered why more women distribute bouquets to guests?
- Planning the menu for events
- Calling and scheduling different meetings (If it’s not their Job description)
- Making minutes of the meeting
- Organising files and managing office supplies
- Taking international guests to show them around the city
- Arranging gifts for delegates, wrapping them in gift wrap and writing/making personalised name cards
These are important tasks to do, no doubt, but as managers, we need to observe whether these tasks are distributed equitably
Across our many learning workshops and conversation, when the topic of office housework comes up, a lot of people are quick to come in and respond
“But women have better taste when it comes to choosing the flavour of the cake or the type of flowers that will look good”
“But men are better for doing running around jobs. They are fast and they like being out of the office too”
“Who better than women to decide on the menu? Nothing can ever compare to the feeling of Moms food. So women can do a better job”
“If ido the Rangoli for an office event, it will look horrendous and that’s just double work for everyone else!”
“Actually, I always volunteer to do event arrangements, but the women in our teams, never involve me and they say they’ll take care of it”
While some women bear the brunt of office housework
Some women love doing it as a way to feel good or to gain reputation
Some women feel a sense of importance doing office housework too
Some men don’t volunteer at all
Some men take it on and get messages that it’s not their place
Some men participate and support in making it happen
There are so many sides to the story. Which side do you fall on? What can you do?
1. Awareness
a. As a manager, are you aware of the tasks that qualify as office housework
b. Can you observe existing patterns within your team of who is shouldering more office housework?
2. Action
a. Can you consciously rotate opportunities with different team members?
b. Can you call out gender bias and stereotypical roles that people play within the workplace on account of their gender?
c. Skill Building: If certain members of the team don’t inherently possess the skills to deliver certain tasks, plan for training that will enhance their skills in their respective areas
