The No Club

The No Club started when four women, who were overwhelmed by endless to-do lists, banded together over $10 bottles of wine and vowed to get their work lives under control. Despite working harder than ever, they found themselves trailing behind their male colleagues. They made a commitment to say no to requests that diverted them from the work most significant to their careers. This book unveils how their over-a-decade-long journey and groundbreaking research uncovered that women everywhere are unfairly burdened with "non-promotable work", a significant issue we can - and must - resolve.

All organisations have work that no one wants to do: planning the office party, screening interns, attending to time-consuming clients, or simply helping others with their tasks. From office housework to crucial assignments that invariably go unrewarded, it is often a woman who takes on these tasks. In numerous studies, professors Linda Babcock (bestselling author of Why Women Don't Ask), Brenda Peyser, Lise Vesterlund, and Laurie Weingart - the original "No Club" - document that women are disproportionately asked and expected to undertake this kind of work. This imbalance leaves women overcommitted and underutilised, while companies forfeit revenue, productivity, and top talent.

But it doesn't have to be this way. The No Club guides you on how to make small yet significant changes to your workload, empowering women to make informed decisions about the tasks they undertake. Simultaneously, the authors highlight the necessity for organisations to reassess how they assign and reward work in order to level the playing field. With robust data, personal anecdotes from women of various backgrounds, practical self- and workplace-assessments, and innovative advice from consulting with Fortune 500 companies, this book will forever alter the discourse on advancing women's careers and achieving equality in the twenty-first century.