How working from home can increase participation by women in India’s workforce
- Anhad Law
- Aug 20
- 3 min read
As elsewhere in the world, more and more employees, and especially women, are asking to WFH in India. Earlier this month, Citibank India introduced an industry-first work from home (WFH) programme exclusively for women, who account for 38% of its 30,000 strong workforce.
Several factors seem to have contributed to the uptick in requests to WFH. Among other reasons, the work-family commitment balance, safety during travel, childcare needs, increased flexibility and productivity, the reduction in exposure to pollution if not travelling to the office, employee satisfaction, retention, etc.
Local laws and guidelines
WFH is not a new concept in India. However, Indian employment laws do not expressly provide for the concept of WFH, except to a limited extent to female employees under the Maternity Benefit Act ,1961 (MB Act).
In 2017, Section 5(5) of the MB Act was inserted to provide that women who had availed maternity benefit may WFH should the nature of the work allow, by mutual employer-employee agreement.
This was reinforced on 1 June this year, when the labour ministry issued an advisory urging state governments and union territories to encourage employers to allow nursing mothers to WFH wherever the nature of work so permits, for at least for a period of one year from the date of the child’s birth.
Further, as per the Code on Social Security, 2020, a female employee can seek permission from her employer to work remotely, provided she has returned from maternity leave and the nature of her work can be performed remotely.
Meanwhile, the government has also issued guidelines, and advisories, on WFH for women. These cover a range of topics for employers, including with relation to the provision of ergonomic equipment (such as chairs, desks, and monitors) to ensure comfort and safety, setting reasonable working hours, maintaining regular communication with WFH employees, and the availability of necessary support and resources.
Other guidelines also exist for Special Economic Zones (SEZs), wherein employees working in information technology (IT) and information technology-enabled services (ITeS), working in SEZ units registered as “Other Service Providers” with the Department of Telecommunications; employees who are temporarily in-capacitated; and those travelling or working offsite can WFH subject to certain conditions. Additionally, under the Industrial Relations Code 2020, which is yet to be implemented, employees in the services sector may also benefit from WFH, upon agreement between employer and worker.
Increasing women in the workforce
As per information in public domain, the number of women in the workforce in India is increasing rapidly. In 2023, women comprised 26%[1] of the workforce – up from 23.3% in 2019.
But, according to a “time-use” survey by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), women in India currently spend up to 352 minutes per day on unpaid work (including childcare), 577% more than men.
In this context, the support of care work through benefits such as maternity leave, paternity leave, childcare leave (availed by both parents), and flexible working options (including WFH) is essential.
Various countries in the world such as the Netherlands, USA, UK, Norway, Ireland, Slovakia, Chile, and Spain have either already enacted, or are in advanced stages of enacting, legislation on WFH/remote working.
In India, the government and businesses need to work together to further promote the participation of women in the workforce, including through investment in digital infrastructure to allow more women to WFH, in sectors where it is possible, and enjoy a better work-life balance. And employers can reap benefits too – from saving on office space and related expenses, a reduced risk of workplace harassment, and lower carbon emissions from travelling to and from the worksite aligning with sustainability goals.