The De Facto Secretary - Challenges for Women in the Workplace

Women are often unconsciously slotted into an administrative role and given routine, detail-oriented work. While these projects may be important, and it's vital to be able to pitch in during a time crunch, it's difficult to shine by doing these routine tasks. The requests may seem benign at first. Can you take the notes during the meeting? Can you prepare FedEx packages? Can you coordinate the next meeting or the next business trip? If you are the most junior person on the team, assume that status is the reason for getting these chores. In the corporate world, the guy at the bottom of the food chain takes care of all the scrub work. The more machismo-laced an environment you work in, the more pronounced the hierarchy will probably be. Check with the second-most junior person to see if he had all the same "chores" before you arrived. Make sure you pass those duties on right away when a more junior person joins the team.

If you are not the most junior teammate, you may have been designated as a secretary for the team because of your gender. How should you handle the request? If the need is legitimate and you are the most appropriate person to perform the task (e.g., because you have the time or because your piece of the work is not as time-sensitive), go ahead and do it, and don't take it personally. If the need is not legitimate or you are not the most appropriate person for the job, do not accept the role! Ask your manager to pass the chore to a secretary or another member of your department. Or tell your manager you would like to rotate the responsibility around the team because you took the duty last time. You could simply say: "I'm sorry. I don't have time to do that and meet my other deadlines. Can someone else pitch in?"

If a client asks you to do something administrative, go ahead and do it & once. Make sure you raise the issue with your manager and get his backing before you tell the client you cannot the second time. If you are asked to do something really demeaning, like making coffee, smile sweetly or make a little joke and say you don't know how to.

If you are the only woman on the team and you are constantly performing the admin duties, you will diminish your professional credibility and stunt your professional development compared to your male peers. Address the situation politely but directly with your manager and/or other perpetrators. Here are two common scenarios women in the corporate world face and how to address them.