The Hidden Cost of Keeping the Office Running: Why Admins Deserve More Than Gratitude

There’s a certain kind of labor that never makes it onto the org chart.

It’s the labor of remembering birthdays.
Of managing the emotional tone of a meeting.
Of organizing the potluck when the budget didn’t stretch to catering.
Of quietly checking in with a team member who’s been off lately.
Of refilling the coffee, tidying up the conference room, or leading the DEI committee—on top of your actual job description.

This labor? It’s invisible. But it’s not free.

In fact, as a recent article by Matthew Fray points out, it’s costing companies billions. Not metaphorically. Literally.

"Invisible labor at work isn’t just a fairness or culture issue. It directly affects profitability, productivity, and employee retention.”

And yet—the people doing this labor (most often women, and overwhelmingly administrative professionals) are rarely recognized for it. Certainly not promoted for it. And often punished when they stop doing it.

Let’s name this for what it is:

A hidden tax on care. A structural issue of equity. A massive missed opportunity for business.

The Admin Double Standard

Administrative professionals know this better than anyone.

We are asked—implicitly or explicitly—to be the cultural glue of our workplaces.
To be the therapists, the secret-keepers, the party planners, the greeters, the “nice ones.”

And if we don’t take on that work?

We risk being seen as cold. Not a team player. Not leadership material.

Meanwhile, when our male counterparts do the exact same things, they’re praised for going “above and beyond.”

The article cites research from Syndio showing that when women refuse these tasks, they’re penalized. Worse evaluations. Fewer promotions. Lower likability scores. But when men do them? They’re rewarded.

Let that sink in.

“Men are rewarded for this work because they are seen as behaving altruistically by going ‘above and beyond’ what is expected of them, whereas women doing this work are just doing the baseline of what is expected of them.”

Admins aren’t doing “extra” work.
They’re doing the work that makes the rest of the work possible.

Why It Matters—For All of Us

Invisible labor isn’t just a women’s issue.
It’s not just an admin issue.
It’s a business issue.

This kind of unrecognized labor leads to burnout, disengagement, and turnover. And that leads to real financial losses:

• $1 billion in stress-related health costs

• $700 million in disengagement and loyalty loss

• $67 million in legal and reputation costs

• $42.5 million in turnover expenses

The numbers don’t lie. The people doing this work deserve to be seen, supported, and paid accordingly.

What Needs to Change

If companies are serious about equity, culture, and retention, they can’t afford to ignore this anymore. Some forward-thinking orgs are already taking steps:

• Embedding emotional labor into job descriptions and performance reviews

• Tracking who does this work and compensating them for it

• Launching emotional intelligence training and culture audits

• Making care work a shared responsibility across genders and roles

But we need more than policy. We need a mindset shift.
We need to stop treating admins like catch-alls and start treating them like what they are:

Strategic partners. Cultural architects. Operational leaders.

Final Thought: You’re Not the Office Mom. You’re the Backbone.

To the admins reading this:
You are not here to clean up emotional messes, absorb stress, or throw office parties unless you want to.

You are not the fallback. You are not the filler.
You are not a utility.
You are the damn sun.

It’s time your labor—emotional, invisible, and deeply valuable—gets treated with the dignity, recognition, and compensation it deserves.

If you're ready to reframe your role and build your career with intention, The Future Focused Admin is your home. We're not here to be helpful. We're here to be powerful.