IIT Kanpur graduate reveals the real problem with WFH after her friend quit a fully remote job. 'I did not leave my office job to work the same hours...'

Ever since work from home has become a possibility, time flexibility is prioritised by employees more since they get to decide where and how they want to work. Working remotely offers freedom from the daily commute stress, stationary life with barely able to leave the desk. However, on the flip side, there may not be a complete control on the working hours. But for many employees, keeping track of the time spent and their ability to manage the time becomes as important as work location. IIT Kanpur graduate, Kanak Agrawal with her recent social media post, sparked a conversataion regarding this. She revealed why her friend quit a fully remote job and raised questions about time autonomy, trust and workplace expectations.

IIT Kanpur graduate explains why her friend quit a remote job

Taking to social media, Kanak Agrawal shared that her friend resigned from a fully remote position because the company expected her to remain available online from 10 am to 6 pm. Recalling her friend's words, Agrawal wrote, “I didn't leave my office job to work the same hours from home.” She described the expectation as being constantly “available” and “visible”, despite working remotely.

According to Agrawal, the growing workplace conflict is no longer simply about choosing between working from home, a hybrid arrangement or returning to the office. Instead, it is about “who controls your time”.

Why time autonomy matters to employees

Agrawal argued that remote work initially offered companies and employees flexibility beyond physical location. Workers could organise their schedules around their energy levels, log off after completing their tasks and build routines that better suited their lives. However, she suggested that resistance emerged when organisations felt they were losing control over employees' time. Many employees value flexible hours, yet companies continue to measure commitment through presence rather than outcomes, she noted.

The IIT Kanpur graduate said remote work had exposed a deeper concern around trust. While outcome-based workplaces trust employees to deliver results, control-based workplaces rely on monitoring when and how long people remain available.

‘People don’t easily give back’ their freedom

Agrawal also warned that employees who experience genuine time autonomy may be reluctant to surrender it. Some could choose to change jobs, freelance or develop independent income streams rather than allow an employer to dictate their schedules. Sharing her own perspective, she said she had been working independently for nine years and would do anything to preserve that freedom.

Her argument challenges organisations to reconsider what flexibility means in practice. Work from home means no hassle of commute, but as per the IIT Kanpur graduate's post, companies should not expect the employee to follow the rigid office hours.