Authors of New Book, Our (In)visible Work, Appear On 'Live Happy Now' Podcast & Discuss Consequences of Unpaid Labor

Esteemed academics Janelle E. Wells, Ph.D., and Doreen MacAulay, Ph.D., researched invisible labor for decades; their new book will be published on August 28

TAMPA, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, August 21, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Appearing on the popular Live Happy Now podcast, Janelle E. Wells, Ph.D., and Doreen MacAulay, Ph.D., authors of an upcoming new book, Our (In)visible Work, delivered a comprehensive narrative on unpaid work, especially its emotional, professional, and family consequences in the workplace and at home. Dr. Wells and Dr. MacAulay, renowned experts in organizational behavior, have extensively studied the impact of invisible work on individuals, families, workplaces, and society.

The podcast delved into the often-hidden world of invisible work. Podcast host Paula Felps noted that essential tasks such as emotional labor, caretaking, and household management consume considerable time and lead to burnout, anxiety, and exhaustion. Yet, these tasks remain largely unacknowledged by family, co-workers, and supervisors.

“I started doing some preparation for this talk and found out that the term invisible work has been around since the eighties,” but I never even heard of it, Felps said. “I just know I complain sometimes, (that) ‘I feel like I have three jobs.’ I didn’t know there was a term. Can you talk briefly about how that term came about and why we don’t hear about it more?”

Dr. Wells explained what had changed since the 80s. “We have more dual-earning households today,” she said. “What does that mean for the life happening at home?” Dr. Wells maintained that women are better educated, have advanced degrees, have climbed the corporate ladder, and have higher-level positions. But, she said, they work 40 hours or more on the job each week and are “still doing [the majority of] everything at home.”

Dr. MacAulay added that she consciously did not want to develop a new phrase for invisible work “so that it will just be something catchy and trendy that kind of goes away.” Instead, she said their attitude was that if invisible work is still an issue after 40 years, “it’s something that we truly haven’t addressed. Why not? For us, what we were trying to do is, kind of bring new life into this work, to say, ’let’s really kind of think about what are the systemic consequences of ignoring this invisible work.’ ”

The two esteemed academics' research on invisible labor has spanned decades and has been published in numerous academic journals while advocating for gender and racial equality. As award-winning scholars and professors at the Muma College of Business at the University of South Florida and principals in the consulting firm WellsQuest, they maintain that addressing invisible work can catalyze a more equitable North American society. Their upcoming book, Our (In)visible Work, is a testament to their commitment and will be published on August 28. It can be pre-ordered HERE.

On the podcast, Felps noted the authors provide practical advice to workers, such as writing to-do lists of their tasks and reviewing their job descriptions. But Felps also targeted leaders of companies and organizations, saying they needed to become more aware of the pressures on their employees. “They need to shoulder some of this…what does a good leader need to do in terms of recognizing invisible work and resolving it, so it doesn’t just fall to one person.”

MacAulay agreed, saying leaders need to take a more active role. “We’re going to see leaders that actually understand what people are doing in the workplace,” she said but warned there will also be other kinds of leaders. “There are going to be people who are going to try to abuse it. I can imagine some people who are listening to this and are like, ‘Oh, well, I’m not going to pay people to go get cakes.’” Leaders, said MacAulay, don’t have to pay workers for getting cake, but they do need to acknowledge that they did it.

Felps envisioned an environment where leaders recognize invisible work. “So, what changes will they see in the workplace? There’s a huge benefit to people not feeling burned out and exhausted. What changes if a leader comes in and says like, ‘Okay. We’re going to look at this, and we’re going to acknowledge it.’ Just the acknowledgement can be huge. How is that going to change the work environment?”

Responding, Dr. Wells said, “Attrition rates will go down. People will likely stay longer. We also say, going back to that people leader, and why it’s so important to have this conversation with the people leader is because, what the research has shown is that people are more likely to stay in an organization because of that people leader. ‘Paula, I love working for you. You recognize, you acknowledge my work and my efforts. I am more likely to stay with you. Not because of the organization we work for, but because of you and your leadership.’ ‘’

However, invisible work can also create imbalances in the workplace.

“People who are really creating the environment that makes everyone so motivated (and)) makes everyone so excited to be there,” MacAulay said, “But yet, they may be being held back a little bit because they’re not doing what they’re supposed to be doing… if you’re the one who’s going to take the extra six hours a week to make sure those things get done, that’s six hours that you’re not working on something that is going to get recognized in your annual review.”

Listen to the entire conversation.
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For broadcast or print interviews with Dr. Wells and Dr. MacAulay regarding uncompensated work or their upcoming new book, Our (In)visible Work, please contact Michael Frisby at Mike@frisbyassociates.com or 202-625-4328. Mr. Frisby can also supply digital copies of the book for reviews.
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About WellsQuest
WellsQuest is a collection of business, sports, academia, and media professionals. We have collaborated with Fortune 100 and 500 corporations, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions to help develop and enhance their approach to talent development and management strategy, particularly for mid-level management. Learn more about WellsQuest at www.wellsquest.com.

Michael K. Frisby
Frisby & Associates
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