“Two hours extra for working from home”: Reporting on gender, space, and time from the Covid-field of Delhi, India

Abstract

This article explores, through the case study of Prachi, a young woman working for an e-commerce company in Delhi, India, the immediate and potential long-term gendered implications of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic. While one of the more “privileged” workers who did not lose her job during the crisis, Prachi had to suddenly and swiftly adapt to the practice of “work from home.” As a neophyte service worker with very limited infrastructure for working at home, Prachi experienced deterioration in her physical and mental health. While working long hours to keep her family afloat during this difficult time, she also had to negotiate the compulsion to participate in housework. Her employers' distrust and increased surveillance has left her feeling vulnerable, particularly as a woman whose work is not given due recognition in the organization. Prachi's account highlights that although the practice of work from home affords flexibility to workers, it can also result in the exacerbation of inequalities. This article outlines the need for closer examination of the gendered implications of work transitions during the pandemic.