Why marketing professional feels ‘guilt attached to working from home’ — LinkedIn post sparks debate

A Delhi-based marketing and branding professional has sparked debate online after sharing her thoughts on how work-from-home leads to increased work hours and pressure amid requirement of wanting to be “seen” and prove productivity.

In a lengthy, reflective post on professional networking platform LinkedIn, Nishtha Khanduja said that she “noticed something strange about work-from-home versus work-from-office” for some time, before being able to pin down the cause.

‘Work-from-home feels contradictory, did more work…’

She noted that when working from office, there was time to do other things too, explaining, “When I worked from office, I somehow found time to do other things too. Short breaks. Small personal tasks. Mental pauses. But when I worked from home, I didn’t. Which felt contradictory — because the whole reason I chose work from home was freedom.”

“Instead, my working hours became longer. I did more work. And I rarely stepped away,” she added.

‘In office, presence itself if proof…’

Khanduja added that she eventually realised why: “There was guilt attached to working from home. A need to constantly prove that I was working — even if I wasn’t physically present in an office. So, I over-delivered.”

She added that the guilt led to staying online longer and avoiding tasks that didn't “look” like work, adding, “In office, presence itself felt like proof. At home, productivity had to be demonstrated.”

‘Systemic issue, need to unlearn…’

Khanduja went on to state that it's likely not something exclusive to her, but rather a systemic way of thought. “We’ve been taught that being seen equals working. And when you’re not seen, you feel the need to compensate. Maybe true flexibility isn’t about location. Maybe it’s about unlearning that guilt,” she feels.

Netizens chip in: ‘Resonates! Do not miss commute… Common feeling…’

There were a number of responses to the post, with one user stating simply: “True! Resonates so well!” and another adding, “100% Nishtha, this is a very common feeling amongst hybrid and remote workers, we’ve been hearing comments like this since we first started our research into this topic 13 years ago.”

Another felt that despite the pressures, his pay-off for work-from-home was better overall, “I see where you're coming from, but I honestly feel the opposite. The time and energy drained by commuting and traffic is something I don't miss at all. I've found that if you're stressed about ‘proving’ you're working, that's often on the employer's culture. I think the real sweet spot is having a co-working membership. If home feels unproductive or distracting, you go there. If you have a light day or just want to focus, you stay home. Best of both worlds.”

There were also some solutions, with one user sharing her method, “I’ve had several work-from-home jobs. To counteract guilt, I set up in a room with door. I opened office door each morning and closed the door each break. It worked.”

Another agreed, “That is why some people consider part of work-life balance to be very clear boundaries between work and home. Home can and should be a sanctuary to relax and enjoy family.”