Who’s Doing the Admin? Leadership, Workload Balance, & Avoiding Burnout
Introduction
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about admin—not just in my own role, but in workplaces more broadly. My partner and I work in different industries, at different levels, and in different types of companies. Yet, despite these differences, I seem to handle significantly more administrative tasks in my day-to-day work. That realization led me to reflect: Is this just my specific situation, or is it a symptom of a larger pattern?
As I started digging deeper, I realized this isn’t just about my own experience. It’s about how workplaces—often unintentionally—assign admin-heavy tasks in ways that reflect deeper structural imbalances. Research has shown that women in professional settings are more likely to take on non-promotable tasks, such as administrative and office housekeeping duties, often without recognition or reward (Babcock et al., 2017).
A Closer Look at Who Handles Admin—and Why
While administrative and non-billable office culture tasks are necessary, they often fall disproportionately on certain individuals. In many workplaces, this burden is carried by junior and mid-level staff, particularly women.
To illustrate this point, let’s look at the numbers. In my office, women make up 53% of the workforce (21 out of 40 employees), while men account for 47% (19 out of 40 employees). However, when you look at senior leadership (Associates, Associate Directors, and Directors), men outnumber women by more than 2:1—11 senior men to only 5 senior women out of 16 total senior staff.
This reflects a broader industry trend. Studies show that while women represent a significant portion of early-career professionals in fields like architecture and construction, they remain underrepresented in leadership roles (RIBA, 2022; NAWIC, 2021). But why does this matter in the context of admin work?
From a workload perspective, this structure means that non-billable office culture tasks—such as organizing events, taking notes, coordinating team-building activities, or onboarding new hires—are more likely to fall on junior and mid-level women. With fewer senior women in leadership roles, there are simply fewer people at the top to help distribute these tasks equitably.
And while this explains part of the trend, it doesn’t tell the whole story. The fact that women—especially non-titled staff like Part 1s, Part 2s, and recently qualified architects—are disproportionately responsible for these tasks suggests a deeper pattern worth examining. Studies confirm that women are more frequently asked to take on administrative duties in professional settings, and they are also more likely to agree to these tasks, often out of fear of being perceived as uncooperative (Heilman & Haynes, 2005).
Why This Matters for Leadership and Team Health
When administrative tasks are consistently assigned based on habit rather than strategy, a few key issues arise:
Time Trade-Offs: Junior and mid-level staff already have demanding workloads. The more time they spend on non-billable, low-visibility tasks, the less time they have for career-building opportunities like leading projects, client work, or innovation (Williams et al., 2016).
Recognition and Advancement: Work that is essential but invisible rarely gets rewarded. If admin-heavy tasks disproportionately fall on certain employees, those employees may have fewer opportunities to take on high-impact work that leads to promotions (McKinsey & LeanIn, 2022).
Workplace Culture: When certain tasks are expected of some but not others, it reinforces unconscious biases about whose time is most valuable. Over time, this can contribute to a workplace culture where leadership and decision-making roles remain concentrated in a particular group (Ely & Myerson, 2010).
How Leaders Can Take Action
The goal here isn’t to eliminate admin—it’s essential work. But it should be distributed fairly and intentionally. Here’s how leaders can start making change:
1. Acknowledge That Admin Work Carries Weight
It’s easy to overlook admin because it’s not always seen as “real” work. But it contributes to the smooth operation of a company and should be valued accordingly. Recognizing this is the first step toward managing it more fairly.
2. Look at the Numbers
Leaders should assess who is consistently handling administrative and non-billable tasks. If the burden falls disproportionately on certain employees—especially women and junior staff—it’s worth asking whether this is intentional or just happening by default (Babcock et al., 2017).
3. Distribute Admin More Evenly
Rather than defaulting to the same people, consider rotating administrative responsibilities or integrating them into shared processes. Senior staff should also take on their fair share of non-billable work.
4. Protect High-Value Time
When professionals spend too much time on admin, they have less bandwidth for the work that drives career growth. Leaders should explore ways to streamline, automate, or reassign these tasks to ensure everyone can focus on their highest-impact contributions (Ely & Myerson, 2010).
5. Create a Culture Where It’s Okay to Speak Up
Many employees take on admin because they feel they have no choice. Encouraging open conversations about workload distribution—and making it clear that pushing back won’t be seen as complaining—helps create a fairer work environment.
Final Thoughts
Office admin isn’t just an individual issue—it’s a leadership issue. Who takes on these tasks, and how they are distributed, shapes not only daily workloads but also long-term career growth and team culture.
So here’s the real question: Who’s doing the admin in your workplace? And is it time to rethink how work is being shared?
Bibliography
Babcock, L., Recalde, M. P., Vesterlund, L., & Weingart, L. (2017). Gender differences in accepting and receiving requests for tasks with low promotability. American Economic Review, 107(3), 714-747.
Ely, R. J., & Myerson, D. E. (2010). An organizational approach to undoing gender: The unlikely case of offshore oil platforms. Research in Organizational Behavior, 30, 3-34.
Heilman, M. E., & Haynes, M. C. (2005). No credit where credit is due: Attributional rationalization of women’s success in male-female teams. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(5), 905-916.
McKinsey & LeanIn. (2022). Women in the Workplace Report. Retrieved from www.mckinsey.com
NAWIC (National Association of Women in Construction). (2021). The Status of Women in Construction Report.
RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects). (2022). Measuring Diversity in Architecture.
Williams, J. C., Phillips, K. W., & Hall, E. V. (2016). Double Jeopardy? Gender Bias Against Women of Color in Science. Harvard Business Review.
