Why Invisible Labor Affects Women’s Careers & Promotions

I know that you’ve probably felt it.

You’re the one doing the work. You’re the one replying to the late-night emails. You’re also the one mentoring the new hire, fixing the client relationship someone else broke, and jumping in when no one volunteers.

And I want you to know that the feeling you get, the one where you tell yourself that you’re still “slacking”, is completely untrue. If anything, you’re the glue.

Yet, somehow, when it’s time for raises, promotions, or recognition, you’re not on the radar. Why?

Because most of what you’re doing isn’t being seen. And in today’s workplaces, what doesn’t get seen doesn’t get rewarded.

This is why today I want to talk about invisible labor: what it is, why it’s hurting women’s careers, and how to start changing that (without burning out or blowing things up).

What is Invisible Labor?

Invisible labor isn’t just doing someone else’s job. It’s the behind-the-scenes emotional, cultural, or team-sustaining work that keeps workplaces human. I’m going to explain it better with a few examples:

• Calming down a panicked teammate before a client meeting

• Being the unofficial note-taker (again)

• Helping your manager “translate” their ideas into something actionable

• Mentoring newer team members without formal credit (or pay!)

• Being the team empath, the one people go to when things feel tense

This is valuable labor. But it often goes unrecognized because it doesn’t live on spreadsheets or dashboards.

Why It’s a Career Killer

I want you to know the harsh truth: Promotions often go to people whose work is measurable, visible, and strategically communicated.

Invisible labor, though vital, doesn’t always fit neatly into performance metrics. And because women (especially women of color) are more likely to be the ones doing this work, it quietly widens the gap in promotions, pay, and leadership opportunities.

Want to know something even worse? Sometimes, this labor gets weaponized.

You’re seen as nice, not strategic. Maybe even helpful, but not leadership material. And almost always as someone reliable, but not as someone with executive presence.

So, What Can You Do About It?

You don’t have to take huge, earth-shattering steps. Trust me when I say this, the best steps are often the simplest ones to implement. Just like the ones I’m going to outline below:

1. Track the Invisible

Start by keeping a private log. Every time you smooth over a situation, mentor someone, or do emotional labor, note it down. Not just what you did, but why it mattered and what the direct consequence of not doing that would have amounted to.

2. Talk About Your Impact, Not Just Your Tasks

Don’t just say, “I helped the intern.” I mean, that just sounds so generic. Be honest…how impressed would you be if you heard someone else say this to you? So, instead, say, “I onboarded the new team member, ensuring they understood processes, reducing the learning curve by 2 weeks.” This shows exactly why it mattered and the direct consequence of not doing that (the company would have lost valuable time. Make your value quantifiable.

3. Use Career Conversations Strategically

Start weaving these examples into 1:1s and performance reviews. Use phrases like:

“One area I’ve been leading in is emotional team support.

Here’s a recent situation where I diffused tension and helped deliver on time.”

4. Stop Volunteering for Every Extra

This time, I want you to be honest with me and yourself. Why do you feel responsible for all the extra work floating around? Especially when those extras don’t align with your growth goals? Where is this coming from? Inspecting the mindset around it and recognizing what drives the need to super helpful is the first step. And the next step is to advocate for the redistribution of this kind of labor or tie it to formal recognition.

5. Ask Better Questions

If you’re always asked to “help out,” try replying with:

“I’m happy to consider.

Can we also clarify how this aligns with my growth path and performance metrics?”

Statements like these send a clear message that you’re intentional with your career growth and subtly signals that you also may be documenting everything. It also plants the seed that your time is strategic.

Closing Thoughts

I hope you’ve found this thought provoking and helpful. The answer isn’t to stop being who you are; it’s to start ensuring that your contributions are visible, valued, and tied to your upward momentum.

Invisible labor might feel like just being a team player, but over time, it becomes the thing that makes you tired and overlooked. And that’s a tradeoff you don’t need to keep making.

If this post resonated, share it with someone else doing the quiet work that keeps everything running. And if you’re looking for strong career conversations, strategic asks about promotions and pay raises, or even help with setting burnout boundaries, I STRONGLY recommend getting your copy of The Career Conversations Bootcamp. It contains actual scripts, power sentence starters, mindset rewiring advice in one amazing place. And it’s a fantastic investment resource for your career.

And, if you’re looking for more personalized career coaching, my 1:1 mentorship is affordable ($600 covering 4 weekly, 75-minute sessions) and designed to help you reclaim your voice, your strategy, and your path to leadership. If you want to explore this, feel free to book a FREE 30 Minute Career Clarity Call with me (no obligation to sign up/buy afterwards).