Is Phantom Work Burning Out Your Best People?
In every workplace, across roles and industries, a quiet phenomenon is draining time, energy, and talent: phantom work. Sometimes called invisible work, shadow tasks, or silent labour, it refers to the tasks and responsibilities that are essential to the success of teams and organisations but go unrecognised, untracked, and unrewarded.
From the outside, it looks like things are running smoothly. Projects are progressing, clients are happy, and teams appear functional. But underneath that surface, people are carrying a hidden load: resolving conflicts before they erupt, translating vague strategy into concrete action, reminding others (again) to update the system, and softening the emotional fallout of poor communication.
What Is Phantom Work?
Phantom work is all the stuff that doesn’t show up in KPIs, isn’t assigned in the project tracker, and isn’t asked for explicitly. Yet, if it disappeared, things would fall apart. It includes:
Translating unclear instructions into actionable work
Informally mentoring newer team members
Clarifying decisions after confusing meetings
Monitoring team dynamics and morale
Catching errors before they create delays
Bridging communication gaps between departments
It’s the connective tissue of organisations. And it often falls on the same people again and again.
Why It Matters
Ignoring phantom work has a cost. Harvard Business Review notes that it erodes fairness and performance in three key ways:
Burnout and overload: Those who take on invisible labour are often the most competent and conscientious. But because this work isn’t counted, they’re at high risk of exhaustion with little recognition.
Equity gaps: Research shows that women and people from underrepresented groups disproportionately carry invisible work. Whether it’s smoothing conflict, maintaining culture, or being the unofficial support system, these tasks often go unnoticed in formal evaluations.
Poor decision-making: When leaders don’t see phantom work, they assume capacity that doesn’t exist. This leads to unrealistic planning, poor prioritisation, and the silent bleeding of productivity.
What Employees Do
Most knowledge workers pick up phantom work because it’s necessary. It’s often done out of care for the team, pride in the work, or fear of things falling apart. But it comes at a cost:
Time is diverted from visible, promotable work.
Emotional energy is consumed by managing dynamics, not just deliverables.
People feel unseen and undervalued for the work that matters most.
What Leaders Must Do
If you're in a leadership role, phantom work is your signal that something needs attention. It means systems aren’t clear, roles aren’t aligned, or relationships are being patched by people rather than process.
So, how do you start addressing it?
1. Name it: Talk openly about phantom work in team meetings and reviews. Ask, "What work are you doing that no one sees?" or "What’s keeping things on track that isn’t in your job description?"
2. Track it: Include time for this kind of effort in planning. Use team reviews or check-ins to identify hidden tasks and who’s doing them.
3. Redistribute it: If the same people always carry the emotional or process burden, rebalance the load. Don’t just reward competence with more responsibility.
4. Reward it: Celebrate the silent MVPs of the workplace. Build recognition systems that account for impact, not just output.
5. Design it out: Fix the systems that produce phantom work. If someone’s always smoothing conflict, invest in clearer communication norms. If someone’s constantly translating strategy, revisit your briefing process.
The Bottom Line
We can’t fix what we won’t name. Phantom work may be invisible on paper, but it’s deeply felt in people’s bodies, calendars, and minds. If we want sustainable, fair, high-performing workplaces, we have to start seeing what’s really happening—and valuing the work that keeps the wheels turning.
When we learn to see the unseen, we don’t just fix work — we honour the people who hold it together.