The Grace Period: Shining A Light on Lawyer Wellbeing
The Grace Period: Shining A Light on Lawyer Wellbeing
Episode 37: The Invisible Weight of Professional Housework
Have you ever wondered who's really keeping your law firm running? It's not the rainmakers or the trial lawyers—it's the people handling what I call "professional housework." This invisible infrastructure of scheduling, organizing, tracking deadlines, and administrative support quietly powers our legal organizations, yet rarely receives recognition.
In this discussion, I pull back the curtain on the hidden labor that keeps our professional houses in order. The revelation isn't just that this work exists—it's who's doing it. Research consistently shows these tasks disproportionately fall to women, junior attorneys, and lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds. And, the people least likely to say no become the ones shouldering responsibilities that everyone benefits from but few acknowledge.
The consequences are profound. When the same individuals consistently handle these background tasks, they have less time for billable work that leads to advancement. Over time, burnout sets in, engagement drops, and talented professionals leave.
Note: This isn't just about fairness—it's about retention. By failing to distribute professional housework equitably, we're inadvertently pushing away the very talent we're trying to develop and retain.
On this episode, I offer practical solutions, including tracking your non-billable time, thoughtful delegation practices, and a month-long challenge to document all the invisible work you do. Only by making this work visible can we begin to value it appropriately and share it fairly. Your workplace culture and your colleagues' wellbeing depend on it.
Ready to transform how your organization handles professional housework? Start by recognizing who's really keeping things running, and take steps to create a more equitable distribution. Share your experiences and let's continue this important conversation!
Find out more at https://thegraceperiod.substack.com/.
Welcome to the Grace Period, where we get real about attorney mental health and well-being and pull back the veil on the high-stakes world of big law. I'm your host, emily Logan Steadman. In this demanding profession, it is crucial that we don't lose ourselves in the hustle for billable hours. On the Grace Period, we have honest conversations about finding consistency, minimizing chaos, developing coping strategies and de-stigmatizing mental health. It is time to prioritize our shared humanity, to find our grace period. Hi everyone, welcome to the Grace Period. I'm Emily Steadman, a commercial litigator and partner at an AmLaw 100 firm. I spend my days in the trenches of breach of contract and other business disputes and litigation, but I'm equally passionate about the real life of lawyers, how we work, how we manage our time and, most importantly, how we take care of ourselves and each other in this demanding profession. Today is episode 37 of the Grace Period and I want to talk about something that's present in every law firm, legal department and business team but is rarely talked about, and that's professional housework. Before you turn out thinking this, before you tune out thinking this doesn't apply to you, let me assure you it does. So what do I mean by professional housework? I'm talking about the behind-the-scenes work that keeps everything moving in our organizations and businesses. Tasks like scheduling meetings, tracking deadlines, sending calendar invites, digging up emails and documents, saying yes when others say no, showing people how to save or print a PDF, and let's not forget about committee work, training new team members, countless non-billable and administrative tasks. These are things that don't make the headlines in our annual reports. They don't show up in our billable hours, although you should track and use this time to advocate for yourself during review and comp cycles. But ultimately, if these tasks don't get done, our firms and businesses and legal departments would grind to a halt.
Speaker 1:I'm sure many of you listening can think of a time when a project would have fallen apart if not for someone stepping up to coordinate, organize and just quietly fill in the gaps. You might also be thinking well, I do my fair share of that, or that's just part of my job, and to a certain extent, that's absolutely right. Every team needs people who are willing to step in and make sure the trains run on time. But here's my question for you have you actually taken stock of who is doing this work? Is it you? Are you delegating it? Is someone quietly picking up the slack, or do you just assume it'll get done, because well, it always does. And here is where it gets even more important If someone else is handling it, how often is it a woman, a junior lawyer or a diverse attorney?
Speaker 1:Research and experience tell us that this invisible labor disproportionately falls on those least likely to say no. It's the people who want to be team players, who don't want to rock the boat, who may already feel pressure to prove themselves, and too often that's women, junior attorneys and attorneys from underrepresented backgrounds. So why does this matter? Well, these tasks are mission critical for firm culture and operations. They are the grease that keep the wheels turning, but they're rarely recognized or rewarded in compensation or promotion decisions. And when this burden falls unequally, when the same people are always expected to pick up this slack, it leads to burnout and dissatisfaction.
Speaker 1:And it's not just about fairness and an equal load, it's about retention. It's about retention. We lose talented people, especially from groups we're trying to better include and support, because they're exhausted by doing work that isn't valued or isn't even noticed. We've all been on teams that needed someone to schedule a meeting or to take notes in a meeting, or to make sure exhibits for a deposition got prepared and ready in time. Often the same people volunteer to do that, or they're volunteered or voluntold to do it. It's not the senior partners, it's junior associates, it's women, it's people who feel like they can't say no. Over time this takes a toll. These people are less engaged, more likely to leave and, frankly, less likely to get notice for the work that did count toward a promotion.
Speaker 1:And let's be clear it's easy to assume that this professional housework just happens. It doesn't just happen. It's easy to assume everyone is equally sharing the load. They are not. So what can we do about it?
Speaker 1:First, we have to take stock. If you're a partner or team leader, look around and ask yourself who's actually doing the work that keeps our team running. Are you recognizing it? Are you rewarding it? If you're an associate or business professional, track what you're doing. Enter that time into your firm's billing system using a non-billable number. If your firm doesn't have one of those, ask them to create one and don't be afraid to speak up if you're carrying more than your fair share, then, if you're in a position to delegate, do so thoughtfully. Don't always turn to the same people. Spread the responsibilities around, and for everyone.
Speaker 1:Let's start making this work visible. Talk about it in team meetings. Include it in performance reviews. Acknowledge the people who make your life easier, even if it's just with a thank you or a public shout out. And here's my practical suggestion For the next month keep a log of all the non-billable, non-client facing work and administrative work you do At the end of the month. Review it, share it with your team, share it with your leaders. Better yet, enter it daily alongside your billable time in your firm's system. You will undoubtedly be surprised at just how much time and energy goes into keeping your professional house in order. If we want to improve retention, if we want true organizational efficiency and if we want to create workspaces where everyone can thrive, it's time to recognize value and fairly distribute the work that keeps our firms running.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening. If this resonates with you, I'd love to hear your stories and solutions. Let's keep this conversation going, because professional housework it's not going anywhere, but we can change how we handle it and that will make a difference. Thank you for joining me on this episode of the Grace Period. I hope this discussion has provided some insights about professional housework, who's doing it, who could do more or less of it and why it matters. Remember you don't have to sacrifice your well-being for career success. By prioritizing self-care, setting boundaries and seeking support, you can survive and even thrive in the law and in big law. Until next time. Take care of yourselves and each other. That is the path to our grace period. Disclaimer all views and opinions expressed in this episode are strictly my own. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute professional advice of any kind, including legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by listening to this podcast.
