India's Hybrid Work Advantage: Exploring the Connection Between Presenteeism and Productivity
The shift to working from home (WFH) in India within the global labor market context has reinforced gendered divisions of labor, increased demands on urban infrastructure differently, and prompted evolving corporate governance norms emphasizing flexibility and employee well-being.
Gendered Division of Labor
Remote work has exacerbated the double burden on women, who disproportionately handle both professional duties and unpaid household work. Women experience increased exhaustion and family conflicts due to this dual responsibility, highlighting persistent gender inequalities in domestic labor sharing. There is a noted emotional toll as spouses and children feel neglected, and women take on informal roles such as preparing multiple tea breaks, symbolizing unrecognized unpaid work during WFH. These dynamics reinforce traditional gender roles within Indian households despite professional remote engagement.
Urban Infrastructure Demands
WFH has shifted infrastructure demands away from central business districts toward residential areas, but uneven digital infrastructure remains a challenge. Investments are required in pan-India broadband access and digital literacy, especially beyond Tier-1 cities, to mitigate urban-rural digital divides and make remote work equitable. Many homes lack proper workspaces, reliable internet, and noise control, reducing productivity and increasing employee frustration. As WFH grows, cities face changing transport use patterns and building usage, demanding flexible digital and physical infrastructure adaptations.
Corporate Governance Norms
Indian companies have increasingly adopted hybrid models with a focus on workplace flexibility. This includes recognizing challenges such as employee visibility, mental health, and burnout when working remotely. There is a growing call for clear labor regulations to protect remote workers' rights on working hours, overtime, health, safety, and the right to disconnect to prevent exploitation and enable work-life balance. Organizations are also recognizing the need for flexibility in hybrid work policies, although employee input in policy setting remains low. The shifting norms require balancing organizational efficiency with employee well-being and inclusivity.
In India, 45 percent of salaried workers logged at least one WFH day in mid-2022, but by 2024 that share had slipped, stabilizing near one-tenth of non-agricultural employment. Section 23 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code empowers the Union Government to notify ergonomic and mental-health rules, but draft norms remain pending. The global average for remote work days is 1.6 in English-speaking economies and 0.7 in Asia, despite workers desiring roughly 2.6 days of flexibility. Only 52 percent of gram-panchayats in India have functional fibre backhaul.
Culture, not technology, explains much of the divergence, with Asian employers still equating physical presence with diligence. India ranks 95th in the world with a median fixed-broadband speed of 61.66 Mbps, far below the OECD median. The European Parliament (2021) called for a Directive guaranteeing a Right-to-Disconnect, while Japan's "Work-Style Reform" (2024) encourages four-day weeks and flexible hours. The OECD's "Flexicurity" mixes portable social-security benefits with employer flexibility.
Overall, WFH in India reflects broader global labor market trends but with significant local nuances in gender roles, infrastructure gaps, and evolving corporate governance focused on sustainable remote work practices.
- As more Indians engage in work-from-home (WFH), issues such as mental health and employee well-being have become focal points for corporate governance discussions, requiring clear regulations to protect remote workers' rights.
- Amidst rising demands for remote work flexibility, there's a need for increased investment in digital infrastructure like pan-India broadband access, digital literacy, and basic home requirements like reliable internet and noise control to improve employee productivity.
- Education-and-self-development opportunities in science, health-and-wellness, technology, finance, business, and education are critical for equipping individuals to perform effectively in this evolving remote work environment.
- The push for a balanced approach in hybrid work policies highlights the importance of prioritizing employee well-being alongside organizational efficiency, much like the OECD's "Flexicurity" model that combines portable social security benefits with employer flexibility.
- The slow pace of drafting ergonomic and mental-health rules in India underscores the need to bridge the gap between old-fashioned work cultures emphasizing physical presence and modern remote work practices that prioritize employee flexibility and well-being.
