The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women's Dead-End Work

Can’t Say No Club
reveals the best way to bring gender equality to unburden women of the tasks that go unrewarded. This practical guide helps women and organizations reach their full potential.

The “Can’t Say No Club” started when four women banded together over $10 bottles of wine to try to get their work lives under control. With seemingly endless to-do lists, they were running faster than ever, yet trailing behind their male colleagues. Overwhelmed and disillusioned, they vowed to say no to requests that pulled them away from the work that mattered most to their careers. Can’t Say No Club tells the story of their over-decade-long journey and groundbreaking research to learn that the problem wasn’t unique to them, nor one they could fix on their own.

All organizations have work that no one wants. When someone needs to plan the office party, screen summer interns, take on that small, time-consuming client, or simply help others with their work—a woman, most often, takes on the task. From office housework to important assignments, this work inevitably goes unrewarded. In study upon study, authors and professors Linda Babcock, Brenda Peyser, Lise Vesterlund, and Laurie Weingart—the original “No Club”—have documented that women are disproportionately asked and expected to take on “non-promotable work.” This imbalance leaves women overcommitted and underutilized as companies forfeit revenue, productivity, and top talent.

The truth is that women can’t just say no, because we expect them to say yes. This book helps women navigate this challenge to make savvy decisions about the work they do, revolutionizing how we approach our jobs. At the same time, the authors illuminate how lasting change can only come when organizations improve how they assign and reward work. With hard data, personal anecdotes from women of all stripes, and innovative advice from consulting with Fortune 500 companies, Can’t Say No Club will forever change the conversation about how we advance women’s careers and achieve equity in the 21st century.