Who ‘Cares’ While Working From Home? COVID-19 Pandemic and Care Work Distribution Among IT Professionals in India

Abstract Social care and domestic work, despite being crucial for societal well-being, remain undervalued, unpaid and invisible in most economic calculations. Globally, women perform almost three times more unpaid care work as compared to men. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified gender roles and disparities in care responsibilities, affecting women’s labour market participation negatively. This study examined the gendered impacts of ‘work from home’ (WFH) among 488 information technology (IT) professionals in India during the pandemic. Using a time-use survey, the study assessed changes in gender norms and caregiving responsibilities during WFH. The authors found that factors such as marital status, age and caregiving responsibilities influence the ability of female IT professionals to negotiate care responsibilities. The authors’ findings indicate that during the pandemic, the time saved from commuting was transferred to domestic and care work. Even as men stepped up to contribute towards care roles, women were primarily responsible for domestic work like cooking and cleaning. In dual-income households, men contributed to childcare and elder care, yet traditional gender roles continued to persist. While WFH caused temporary shifts in care work distribution, it did not fundamentally alter entrenched gender norms. The authors’ study calls for institutionalising care work within workplaces and adopting gender-responsive policies to support female employees. Building on the goals of gender equality (SDG 5) and Decent Work Agenda (SDG 8), the study proposes a re-evaluation of flexibility at work and the creation of a care infrastructure and policies at work that can foster a more inclusive society by redistributing caregiving responsibilities across genders.