Selena Rezvani was in an all-day strategy session when she faced a challenge many women of color are intimately familiar with: she was expected to arrange lunch for everyone present.
Women of Color Get Asked to Do More “Office Housework.” Here’s How They Can Say No.
Research shows that women of color are more likely to be assigned or asked to take on office housework tasks, such as ordering lunch or running mentoring programs. When faced with these requests, what should they do? Saying yes could mean hurting their career and reinforcing their position as less powerful. Saying no could mean being labeled as difficult. While we work to change organizational cultures to better value the contribution of women of color, there are several tactics they can use to say no to these tasks while minimizing the risk of being penalized. First, have a prepared answer ready, and practice saying it out loud, so you’re not caught off guard. When you say “no,” offer to do another higher value task instead. Gather evidence that shows you and other women of color are more likely to be asked to complete these tasks to help raise the awareness of the requester. You might check with your manager to be sure that they agree that the task is worth your time. Suggest that the team you’re on, rotate responsibility for housework tasks so you’re not the only one carrying the burden. And if you can’t say no, make sure that people are aware of the extra work you’re doing and that you get credit for it.