'Severance' work style: One in three employees want to keep personal, professional lives separate

Report warns that this could be a sign of 'systemic lack of psychological safety at work

BY Dexter Tilo 27 Mar. 2025

More than one in three employees in the United States are open to a lifestyle where their personal and professional lives are kept separate, according to a new report.

The report, which polled 1,000 employees in the United States, asked the respondents about "severing," inspired by the science-fiction show Severance, where employees can separate their work and personal lives.

The results found that 35% of employees would "sever" their work self if given the option, with women (56%) and Gen Zs (33%) more open to the idea.

"The considerable percentage of employees open to a Severance-style separation signals a profound desire to escape the burdens of workplace stress, even if it requires an extreme division of their identity," the report read.

Improving work-life balance is the top reason (16%) why employees would choose to "sever," according to the report. The other reasons they cited include:

To escape the emotional toll of a toxic work environment (12%)
To be more present and engaged in my personal life (12%)
To avoid personal traumas or mental health struggles (11%)
To reduce the amount of time I stress about my finances (10%)
To improve focus and productivity at work (8%)
To avoid family or relationship issues (8%)
To improve job satisfaction (7%)

In fact, the report found that 60% of employees believe that keeping a separate "work identity" is necessary for career success.

Hiding a portion of themselves

While the concept of completely separating work and personal lives remains in science fiction, the report found that there are already employees who are "hiding" a portion of themselves amid the pressure to conform in the workplace.

For 18% of the respondents, they said they hide or alter their personal beliefs, values, or identity, such as political views, sexual orientation, or religion. Others said they hide:

Topics of conversation, such as personal lives, interests, hobbies (15%)
Attitude or demeanour, such as optimism and energy level (14%)
Appearance, such as clothing, hairstyle, makeup, or tattoos (14%)
Tone of voice (12%)
Body language, such as posture or facial expressions (10%)
How they make decisions (8%)

'Systemic lack of psychological safety'

The report noted that the diverse range of personal attributes that employees feel the need to hide underscores a "systemic lack of psychological safety" in the workplace.

According to the report, the findings show the urgent need for employers to address the impact of workplace stress and the pressure to conform in workplaces.

"As companies continue to navigate evolving work cultures, fostering environments where authenticity is valued could be key to improving job satisfaction and mental health among employees," it said.