New Study Says Just Say No to Office ‘Volunteer’ Work

A recentHarvard Business Review study encourages women to stop volunteering to plan the office holiday party and and staying late on behalf of another colleague. Why? Because it’s hurting their chances of career growth. Professors Linda Babcock, Maria Recalde, and Lise Vesterlund found that women are much more likely to volunteer for mundane tasks -- 48 percent more likely -- and that their willingness to perform these “non-promotable” tasks actually hinders their advancement in the company. The report proclaims, "this can have serious consequences for women. If they are disproportionately saddled with work that has little visibility or impact, it will take them much longer to advance in their careers."