Invisible labor

Invisible labor is a philosophical, sociological, and economic concept applying to work that is unseen, unvalued or undervalued, and often discounted as not important, despite its essential role in supporting the functioning of workplaces, families, teams, and organizations.

[2][3] The term has been applied to academics,[4] scientists,[5] interpreters,[6] wait staff,[7] secretaries,[8] and women in the household,[9] who bear most of the invisible labor in terms of cleaning, planning, and organizing.

'[14][15] Invisible labor also falls disproportionately on marginalized groups as a factor of race or other identity characteristics,[16][4][17] to the point it has been referred to as "cultural taxation.

"[18] Strategies for addressing invisible labor include acknowledgement and increasing visibility, distributing tasks more equally, implementing policies that recognize or reduce such work, challenging disparate gender and racial roles, and assigning economic value to unpaid labor.

[19][20][21][22] The concept continues to influence public discourse through books and movies.