As precautionary measures to protect the community from COVID-19 ramp up and more people are encouraged to work from home, there are concerns tensions between many couples may arise.

Key points: Women do four to seven hours more housework than their male partners regardless of income, according to a national survey

Women do four to seven hours more housework than their male partners regardless of income, according to a national survey Experts are warning that the division of labour could become an issue as couples self-isolate amid the coronavirus pandemic

Experts are warning that the division of labour could become an issue as couples self-isolate amid the coronavirus pandemic The "invisible work" carried out largely by women is likely to become more apparent, experts say, and should be discussed

Division of household labour has long been a topic of much frustration for women, who in most heterosexual couples do the bulk of the chores, according to the findings of the 2019 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics Australia (HILDA) Survey.

Leah Ruppanner, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Melbourne specialising in family and gender dynamics, said self-isolation meant many couples would be forced to observe each other's daily routines.

"The day-to-day invisibility of the housework, the childcare, and all of the mental load around that now becomes visible," she said.

"It will be interesting to see who feels entitled to work time when they're at home and what they expect from that time."

Relationships Australia New South Wales chief Elisabeth Shaw said being in isolation for weeks at a time could be challenging for couples.

"You're literally tripping over each other, and issues of fairness and equity can come into play," she said.

"[Housework] is undervalued work and it's thankless work.

"If your partner is home and they equally could have done it, resentment can rise."

Women are doing more housework than men, according to HILDA. ( Supplied: HILDA )

Women 'work' more

The HILDA survey found women in childless relationships who earned the same money as their partner were doing approximately four hours more housework per week.

If children are involved that jumps to seven hours.

"Housework has been shown to be gendered for a very long period of time," Dr Ruppanner said.

"Even when women are the breadwinner, they still do more housework then men."

Dr Ruppanner said studies had shown that women were judged on the cleanliness of their homes.

"Women are held to a different standard for messiness," she said.

"If someone dropped in unexpectedly on a women with a messy house, they would view her as less capable, less competent.

"There is a disproportionate amount of pressure that comes from norms and expectations about what women and mothers are supported to do.

Women with children do seven hours more housework a week than their male partners, HILDA found. ( Supplied )

"Part of this is socialisation — little girls watch their mothers do housework around the home, it's role-modelled from childhood."

The HILDA survey has found women do more housework than men regardless of income. ( Supplied )

Whose career gets put first?

Dr Ruppanner said there were likely to be debates over labour distribution as more people took their work home.

"'Mine is more important because it pays for the bills', or 'Yours has more flexibility' — that negotiation may happen," she said.

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She said underlying social norms were likely to dictate whose career was valued more even if both partners earned the same money.

Dr Ruppanner said it could be a good time to discuss division of labour.

"Use this as an opportunity to revaluate what's happening in the home," she said.

She suggested people experiment with ways to more fairly organise who did the chores.

"This could be wonderful time to set patterns within the home that prioritise everyone's health and wellbeing," she said.

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Time alone

Ms Shaw said it would be a confronting time for many couples.

"One of the hardest things is disconnection from the routine — being amongst friends and colleagues at work," she said.

"When you don't work with your partner, you don't have to see what they're like when their working — and it can be quiet confronting.

"They might do any number of things that you find irritating, difficult, or even things you don't really respect.

Couples should discuss the division of household labour, experts say. ( Supplied )

"Normally, when you go off to work you get some distance from your partner and you get other stimulation and other input.

"Sometimes you don't know how valuable that is until you don't have it anymore."

But Ms Shaw is encouraging couples to embrace the time together and to use the more flexible conditions to improve the romance.

"It can be seen as an opportunity for something interesting to happen on the home front," she said.