Repeat After Me: No Unpaid Work
Jul 26, 2024
As women physicians (or as women humans TBH), we are frequently asked to take on unpaid work; lead this committee, plan this party, etc. We may be used to this, as we are generally socialized towards this from a young age, but it is particularly inappropriate in the work setting. Inappropriate, and yet SO common!
This week, I’m giving you some simple scripts that you can use next time you get asked to take on unpaid work.
Share these with your colleagues too; make a group agreement to stand up against unpaid work.
Thank you for asking. I don’t have the capacity with my current responsibilities to lead this group/plan this party/take on additional responsibilities. If you would like to hold time on my schedule/take something off my plate for me to spend time on this new project, let’s connect to discuss further.
Thank you for reaching out regarding this opportunity. It sounds like an important project that will require time and attention, and I feel confident that I would be a good fit for this work. I’d like to hear more about how this work is compensated. (OPTIONAL: As you know, women are more likely to be given tasks and responsibilities that are not paid or compensated, and it’s important to me that our organization is making a change in this inequity).
Sweet and (slightly) Spicy Version:
Thank you for asking. I’ve noticed that women physicians here are often asked to plan parties/lead committees, without any compensation or reduction in other responsibilities. Do you think it would be appropriate to ask some of my male colleagues to do this work without compensation? It seems that either this work should be compensated and the opportunities distributed evenly, or if it’s not important enough to compensate us for our time, then it likely does not need physician involvement.
Hi There!
I'm Megan. I'm a Physician and a Life Coach and a Mom. I created this blog to help other Physicians and Physician-Moms learn more about why they feel exhausted, burned-out and overwhelmed, and how to start to make changes. I hope that you enjoy what you read, and that it helps you along your journey. And hey, if you want to talk about coaching with me, I'm here for that too! I offer a free 1:1 call to see if we are a good fit. Click the button below to register today.
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