Remote Work and Work Life Balance: A Comparison between Unmarried and Married Self-Employed Women

Abstract

The study highlights the experiences of women entrepreneurs of working remotely and the differences between married and unmarried women entrepreneurs in their experience of handling personal and professional life. The study aims to review the problems faced in telecommuting, influence of telecommuting on work-life balance and the role of technology in telecommuting. The study adopts the use of non-structured interviews, to gain understanding of the challenges, benefits and experiences of remote workers. The results indicate that although telecommuting, achieving autonomy and establishing a business brings some flexibility, it also has its problems such as role conflict, emotional exhaustion and the lack of separation between work and personal life. Due to lack of help, married women are confronted with the problem of interruption of families as well as unmarried women with the problem of loneliness and overworking. Tools such as social media, communication applications, and productivity applications are essential in facilitating and scaling up remote enterprises but face challenges, such as weak internet connectivity and low levels of digital literacy in certain cases. Based on this research, it is crucial to establish an enabling family atmosphere, strengthen the digital infrastructure, and train women on digital skills and time management to enable them to take advantage of the opportunities of remote working. This study is significant because it can give insights on gender differences in remote work and the impact of marital status on the work-life balance of remote workers