The debate around work from home refuses to die. While some people see it as a flexible way of working, many remote employees say the biggest challenge isn’t the job itself. It’s convincing people at home that they’re actually working.A Delhi woman’s Instagram video has now brought that conversation back into the spotlight. In a light-hearted but relatable rant, she spoke about how working from home often means balancing office work with household expectations, leaving many social media users saying they could relate.
‘My brother earns less but gets more respect’
Sharing her experience, Heena Dogra said the way her family views her job is very different from the way they see her brother’s.“A work-from-home employee gets less respect than a daily-wage worker. My brother goes to the office, earns less than I do, but still gets more respect at home simply because he dresses up and leaves for work, while I am seen lying around the house all day,” she said.Dogra added that despite spending long hours at work, she is often expected to be available for household responsibilities.“My brother works from nine to five, but my working hours often stretch from nine in the morning until nine at night,” she said.She also shared the kind of remarks she hears at home.“My family asks me, ‘Since you work from home, who pays you for sitting at home?’ They think I do a little work on my laptop and somehow get paid for it,” she added.
Guests don’t wait, meetings do
Dogra said things become even more difficult whenever guests visit the house.According to her, she is expected to put work aside, serve tea, water, and biscuits, and attend to visitors because everyone assumes her meetings can wait.“My family says, ‘You can attend your meeting later. You work from home anyway,’” she said.She also joked that, unlike her brother, who leaves home dressed for work, she usually spends the day wearing “a top of one colour” and “pyjamas of another,” making it even harder for people to believe she is actually on the job.
‘No, yaar, I am not having fun’
Dogra said even her friends assume that working remotely is easy.“No, yaar, I am not having fun. People who go to the office at least get proper time off, while I work like bonded labour,” she said.Ending the video with sarcasm, she joked that it almost felt as though her company had allowed her to work from home so she could entertain guests and make sure they were comfortable.The video was posted with the caption, “Bro, people who work from home get no respect at all.”
Internet says it feels all too familiar
The video sparked plenty of reactions from users who said they had experienced similar situations.One user wrote, “Work from home means work for office and home.”Another commented, “Laptop khula hai, but everyone thinks I am on holiday.”A third joked, “The biggest WFH meeting is serving tea to guests.”Another user added, “Salary company deti hai, but duties poora ghar assign karta hai.”Disclaimer: This article is based on a video shared by the content creator on Instagram and the reactions posted by social media users. The views expressed are those of the creator and commenters. Thumb image: Instagram
