Free to attend webinar

Everyday sexism at work: The impact of non-promotable tasks on women’s careers

Everyday sexism continues to shape women’s experiences across construction and engineering, often in subtle but highly impactful ways. One of the most persistent examples is the unequal distribution of non-promotable tasks: work that is necessary for the business to function, such as note-taking, organising meetings, mentoring, office “housekeeping,” health and wellbeing roles, or emotional labour – but which is rarely recognised in performance reviews or rewarded through progression.

Research consistently shows that women are more likely to be asked to take on these tasks, more likely to agree to them, and more likely to be judged negatively if they refuse. Over time, this creates a hidden barrier to progression, limits access to high-visibility work, and contributes to gender pay and leadership gaps across the sector.

This webinar will explore how everyday sexism operates through the allocation of non-promotable tasks, why these patterns persist, and the real career consequences for women in construction and engineering. We will also examine the key question facing both individuals and organisations: should women stop doing these tasks, or should companies properly value and reward them?

Join us for an open and practical discussion with industry experts and leaders as we look at how organisations can redesign work allocation, challenge biased expectations, and create fairer systems that recognise all contributions - not just the most visible ones.

Key discussion themes

• What non-promotable tasks look like in construction and engineering

• How everyday sexism influences who is asked to do what work

• The long-term impact on women’s career progression, pay, and visibility Individual vs organisational responsibility for change

• How leaders can create fairer systems of recognition and reward