Home, Gender and Productivity: Gendered Consequences of Pandemic-Era Remote Work on Work–Life Boundary Management among Indian IT Professionals

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a large-scale shift to mandatory remote work in India’s IT sector, redefining how employees manage professional and personal boundaries. While remote work offered flexibility and reduced commuting burdens, it also intensified challenges of digital fatigue, blurred work–life boundaries, and unequal caregiving responsibilities. This study investigates the gendered consequences of pandemic-era remote work among Indian IT professionals, focusing on how men and women differently experienced and negotiated boundary management, household duties, and productivity expectations. Drawing on a cross-sectional survey of 400 employees from leading IT firms, supplemented by semi-structured interviews, the research applies a Job Demands–Resources framework to examine the interplay between digital job demands, household infrastructure, and gender roles. Findings highlight that women professionals faced a disproportionate burden of unpaid care work and reported higher levels of stress and role conflict compared to men, despite similar performance expectations. Conversely, male employees reported greater autonomy but struggled with digital presenteeism and long working hours. The study underscores that remote work, while often celebrated as a flexible arrangement, reproduces and amplifies existing gender inequalities in the Indian context. Implications for human resource policies include designing gender-sensitive remote work strategies, investing in digital infrastructure, and implementing support mechanisms to sustain productivity while safeguarding employee well-being.