In India, remote work has increased at a rapid rate due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is commonly positioned as one of the avenues to gender inclusivity by minimizing geographic and time-related barriers for women in the workforce. But a paradox is taking shape, as remote and hybrid work arrangements can enhance women's labour force participation, but can also create a flexibility trap where entry does not guarantee equality in the promotion process. This article presents the view that flexibility often shifts the site of inequality from access barriers to advancement barriers instead of eliminating it. In particular, in hybrid organizations, promotion is still closely associated with visibility, informal patronage, and access to decision-makers. Based on available recent research about remote work and gender in India, the analysis finds three interconnected constraints underlying the stalled career progress of women: (i) proximity bias and a visibility deficit that minimizes high-value assignments, mentoring, and promotions; (ii) patriarchal and collectivist expectations that legitimize and solidify women’s domestic roles; and (iii) increased unpaid labour and boundary collapse that result in time poverty and less engagement in career-building activities. In reaction to this the article advances an structural equity framework that breaks the connection between career progression and physical presenteeism by means of transparent outcomes-based assessment, institutionalized sponsorship practices, and normalization of flexibility throughout the organization. The paper provides a framework to explain why accessibility does not equate to advancement and discusses what has to be redesigned to accomplish flexibility and structural justice in India's shift to remote employment.
