The invisible burden of "glue work"

[WORLD] In the midst of a team meeting, ideas are being exchanged, and discussions are flowing. You’re taking notes, rephrasing key points, and ensuring that everyone—both in-person and remote—stays aligned. You’re also responsible for sending out reports, planning the next steps, and coordinating between various departments. In short, you’re performing what’s known as “glue work.”

Coined by Tanya Reilly, a former engineer at Squarespace, this term emerged in 2019 to describe the often-overlooked tasks that are critical to a team’s success but rarely receive recognition. Glue work involves everything from maintaining communication and coordinating efforts to ensuring smooth operations, yet it often goes unnoticed.

Recent research highlights that glue work has become even more essential in hybrid and remote work environments, where digital platforms require extra effort to maintain coordination. A 2023 McKinsey report found that teams with strong “connectors”—those who help facilitate communication and collaboration—are 35% more productive. Yet these contributions often remain unmeasured, reinforcing the invisibility of such labor.

Despite its importance, glue work typically operates in the background, falling outside the scope of key performance indicators (KPIs) and formal evaluations. It remains the unsung force that sustains team performance.

Interestingly, it is predominantly women who take on this invisible labor. According to a 2018 Harvard Business Review study, women are 48% more likely than men to engage in glue work. Furthermore, they are 44% more often asked by managers to shoulder these responsibilities, a clear sign of ongoing gender bias.

This issue extends beyond the corporate world. In academia, for example, female faculty members are disproportionately tasked with mentoring students and serving on committees—responsibilities that are undervalued when it comes to tenure evaluations. In healthcare, where the workforce is largely female, nurses frequently juggle patient care with administrative coordination—key roles that are rarely recognized in career advancement.

Bringing the Invisible into Focus

In many workplaces, women are expected to be helpful, efficient, and accommodating by nature. They are often the ones tasked with organizing team events, handling logistical details, or taking care of small but essential tasks, like emptying the trash or ensuring windows are closed at the end of the day.

This expectation extends into emotional labor as well. Women are often called upon to manage interpersonal conflicts or maintain team morale, adding further to their invisible workload. A 2022 study in the Journal of Applied Psychology revealed that employees who frequently engage in emotional and organizational glue work tend to experience higher burnout rates and are 14% less likely to receive promotions compared to peers who focus on more measurable outputs.

As a result, these workers remain in support roles, seldom receiving the recognition they deserve. Despite the fact that their work is critical to the team’s overall success, it is often excluded from performance evaluations that prioritize quantifiable results.

In essence, glue work operates under the radar—indispensable yet unseen.

Innovative Solutions

Some forward-thinking companies are beginning to address this issue. For instance, Salesforce has introduced "collaboration metrics" in performance reviews, assessing how employees contribute to team cohesion. Companies like Slack have implemented "glue work" credits, allowing employees to log coordination tasks as part of their formal duties. These measures aim to bridge the gap between informal expectations and formal recognition.

So, how can we ensure that this vital coordination work doesn’t remain a silent burden? One approach is for companies to officially recognize glue work, treating it as an important performance lever. Organizations could create roles specifically dedicated to coordination, such as “chief happiness managers,” and include these tasks in regular performance reviews.

A rotation system might also help ensure that responsibilities, such as bringing in breakfast pastries or watering plants, are shared more equally among team members.

For employees, it’s crucial to document their contributions—whether through noting tasks, quantifying their efforts, or explaining the reasoning behind them. Above all, it’s important to discuss these responsibilities during interviews or performance evaluations, without hesitation.

Ultimately, glue work should not be viewed as an act of goodwill or generosity. It is a critical, though discreet, element that keeps the organizational machinery running smoothly. It’s time to stop treating it as an afterthought and begin valuing it as an essential function within any team.