Remote and hybrid work are frequently presented as the perfect solutions for attaining work-life balance. For many women, especially managing menstrual health difficulties, these setups offer privacy and freedom from rigid office schedules. On paper, remote work appears like a total victory: no tiring commutes, greater control over one’s environment, and the ability to care for one’s body without judgement. For women with painful periods, irregular cycles, or other health conditions, working from home may seem like a long-overdue accommodation in a workforce that has been historically shaped by and for men.

However, the reality is much more complex. Remote work may provide flexibility, but it does not guarantee equality. Many women assert that working from home makes them less visible to managers and colleagues. Thus, remote work makes more difficult the promotion possibilities that usually come from in-person networking. The 2025 U.S. Census analysis reports that only roughly 23% of women are working remotely full-time, pointing to the fact that access to remote work is limited and unequal. The system that is supposed to liberate women can also be the one that hinders their progress. In the absence of well-defined policies and the presence of support at the structural level, remote work presents a sword with two edges; on one hand, it is a means of taking care of health and fulfilling personal needs, but on the other hand, it risks career growth. 

Research has demonstrated this contradiction. Hybrid work is reported to increase productivity, autonomy, and protection from workplace bias. At the same time, this form of work comes with significant disadvantages for women, such as unequal access to the option itself, employees’ lack of motivation, and women's contributions being neglected when they are invisible. To reiterate, flexibility does not necessarily mean fairness. 

The takeaway from this is that we should not consider remote work as an absolute positive advancement. For women, particularly those who have to manage their menstrual health, such arrangements might bring relief and dignity; however, this is only the case when organizations not only implement but also enforce the policies that ensure health and career progression. In the absence of these safeguards, the practice of working from home is likely to turn into a privilege for a small number of people and a trap for the majority, a scenario in which flexibility is lost at the cost of visibility and opportunity. 

Work in the future must not be based on the overly simple notion that being "out of the office" automatically gives employees power. Real change will be made only when companies understand that health accommodations and career development are not two separate issues but rather two sides of the same coin. Until then, the promise that remote work holds for women will be merely an illusion. 

Aside from visibility and promotion, one of the risks of remote or hybrid work is that it can reinforce the traditional gender roles within the nuclear family. For instance, remote work has lessened women's exertion during their menstrual cycles or when experiencing health challenges, but it has also largely expanded dependency on women to handle domestic chores, take care of children, and still fulfill their professional responsibilities, all at the same time. According to numerous studies, including one through the World Economic Forum, women, even if they work full-time, still have the highest burden of household work. With the workplace converging with the home, the line between paid labor and unpaid labor becomes blurred, making it challenging for women to safeguard their energy and professional interests. Flexibility here might be a transformation that we hardly notice, into the expectation of "doing it all."

 Moreover, the lack of dialogue about menstrual health in the workplace is exacerbating the issue. Remote working has its advantages in that it provides women with privacy; however, it also helps organizations keep women's menstrual health under the table. Instead of introducing paid menstrual leave, a flexible sick policy, or conducting educational sessions in the workplace, many companies opt to use remote work as a silent replacement for the lack of real accommodation. Hence, women are forced to bear responsibility on their own, rather than workplace health policy being adjusted to address the systemic gaps in its approach to health. Privacy should not mean giving up on the right to be recognized, or getting the backing of an institution.

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References

U.S. Census Bureau. (2025, January 16). Socioeconomic inequalities between remote workers and commuters. Census.gov. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2025/01/work-from-home-inequalities.html

Doering, L., et al. (2025). Remote work reduced gender discrimination but presents trade-offs for advancement. Phys.org / HR Dive. Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2025-10-remote-gender-discrimination-office.html

IWPR. (2025, March 11). NEW IWPR research shows a positive link between hybrid work and health. Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Retrieved from https://iwpr.org/new-iwpr-research-shows-positive-link-between-hybrid-work-and-health/

The hybrid workplace can be unfair to women — Here’s how you can help. (2021). ADP Spark Blog. Retrieved from https://www.adp.com/spark/articles/2021/09/the-hybrid-workplace-can-be-unfair-to-women-heres-how-you-can-help.aspx

World Economic Forum. (2023). Why remote work can be a double-edged sword for women. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/11/remote-work-workplace-women-careers/

Flexible work and gender equity. (n.d.). Gender Economy. Retrieved from https://www.gendereconomy.org/flexible-work/

Remote work and women: Creating safe and healthy workplaces for all. (2024). EU-OSHA. Retrieved from https://osha.europa.eu/en/oshnews/remote-work-and-women-creating-safe-and-healthy-workplaces-all

Chung, H. (2025). Telecommuting and division of domestic work: The role of gender role attitudes. European Sociological Review. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/esr/article

Gender, parenting, and the rise of remote work during the pandemic. (2025). PubMed. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35599685/