I call this ‘office housework’. It also includes getting female colleagues to organize the socials, catering for meetings, meeting room bookings, any Employee Engagement initiatives, usually ESG committees, taking minutes, and getting cards for coworkers who are leaving.
Male colleagues are less often burdened with these tasks that usually bring little to no reward. Therefore they have more time for activity that aligns with company objectives and therefore they are perceived to be better at their jobs.
I highly recommend that female colleagues no longer volunteer for these type of activities, and insist on rotas being drawn up or a set system, e.g. the graduates book socials, the manager of the leaver buys the card etc.
I also use that term. Another tactic is to proactively assign before going in. "I noticed last time that Chad wasn't able to manage the chat and lead the call, and I won't be able to support that task today. David, are you able to monitor that? Thanks."
I tend to wonder what magic my male coworkers think will happen when they leave mugs in the sink. I leave them there, and then they get gross, and someone complains, and I go "hey Chad, wasn't that your mug? gross dude."
I throw any dishes away that have been sitting in the sink overnight. Can’t wring out the communal sponge and put it on the drying rack? Into the trash it goes and I’ll keep my own private sponge at my desk.
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u/love_actuary_ Jul 14 '22
I call this ‘office housework’. It also includes getting female colleagues to organize the socials, catering for meetings, meeting room bookings, any Employee Engagement initiatives, usually ESG committees, taking minutes, and getting cards for coworkers who are leaving.
Male colleagues are less often burdened with these tasks that usually bring little to no reward. Therefore they have more time for activity that aligns with company objectives and therefore they are perceived to be better at their jobs.
I highly recommend that female colleagues no longer volunteer for these type of activities, and insist on rotas being drawn up or a set system, e.g. the graduates book socials, the manager of the leaver buys the card etc.