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Summary.
The gender and racial disparity in access to high-profile, career-enhancing work has been widely overlooked. Research across industries has shown that 81% to 85% of white men report fair access to desirable assignments, while that number falls to 50% for women of color. At the same time, women tend to be burdened with more non-promotable “office housework,” such as scheduling meetings, cleaning up, or being the peacemaker. The authors ran bias training workshops and fair distribution strategies in four companies, leading to noticeable improvements in the equitable allocation of both office housework and high-profile assignments.Lack of access to high-profile work — the kind that sets you up for promotion and leadership opportunities — is a key reason people leave their organization. The costs of employee attrition are well-known and expensive — up to twice an employee’s annual salary.