he COVID-19 pandemic forced a global experiment: the mass migration to remote work. The morning commute became a brief walk to the next room, in-person meetings were replaced with switched-off cameras on Zoom, pyjamas became the new power suits, and bedrooms became workstations. Now, after almost three and a half years, businesses everywhere are recognising that remote work is not just a temporary fixture, but a defining characteristic of the modern workplace.

While many initially celebrated the flexibility and freedom that came with working remotely, a growing concern has emerged — the erosion of work-life balance. Take, for example, Anita Sharma, an accountant at Eliea Wellness, Guwahati, who previously enjoyed a clear separation between work and home. “Pre-pandemic, the drive home was my buffer zone,” she explains. “Now, my work laptop is always within reach, blurring the lines and making it hard to truly switch off.”