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EMOTIONAL HOUSEKEEPING
Pro tips for achieving a more equitable distribution of housekeeping at work
Reduce office housework. For example, instead of expecting one person to take multiple lunch orders and haul them back to the conference room, ask staff to set up individual delivery accounts.
Set up a shared rotation of tasks. Make a job list. (Wipe down the whiteboard. Clear the sink. Clean the fridge. Restock coffee.) Maintaining and complying with the system should be noted in performance evalua- tions. Once in place, this rotation should
be tracked by an appropriate staff person, such as the office manager.
Conduct social experiments. Find oppor- tunities to bring up housekeeping equity. Consider a test: agree with your allies to hold off volunteering to take notes at the next staff meeting and see what happens.
Don’t start a race to the bottom of the sink.
Instead of competing with other workers to see who’s best at cleaning up, channel your energy back into your professional expertise. You are more likely to be noticed and rewarded for your design skills and organizational savvy than for keeping the countertops gleaming.
Wait, didn’t you have a birthday last year?
The task of organizing birthday parties
and baby showers at work often falls to women. (In fairness, it may be women’s idea to have these celebrations in the first place.) Party duties include everything from collecting money and choosing gifts to cooking, decorating, and cleaning up. Are these gatherings worth it? Could parties be combined for greater effect?
Be prepared for backlash and denial.
“But I don’t use the fridge.” “Junior staff’s job is to support senior designers.” Don’t let questionable assumptions and straight-up defensiveness block the effort to make everyone help maintain a clean, safe, and equitable workplace.
Beware toothless task forces. They tend to involve lots of effort for little result. Stick to the essential demand: workplace equality.
Avoid clever signs. Tempting as it is to post cute graphics nudging others to do their part, don’t do it. No one reads signs.
gift flowers requiring immediate care and attention
coffee rings of hell
lip service