Thirty-five percent of American workers would separate their work self from their personal self if they could. The top reasons to sever are improved work-life balance and escaping a toxic work environment. These aren’t fictional stats from the hit Sci-Fi thriller ‘Severance’, they come from Zety’s most recent Workplace Identity Report.
The report suggests that, while the majority of workers wouldn’t go so far as to get personality altering brain surgery, the American workplace does encourage a certain level of conformity. Sixty percent of surveyed employees said they believed a separate “work identity” was important for career success. What’s more, 64% reported hiding aspects of their personal life to maintain a professional image.
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The list of what workers hide is basically as diverse as the American workforce itself. Eighteen percent said they felt most pressure to conform when sharing personal beliefs or values at work, like political views, sexual orientation, or religion. Fifteen percent said they hid or altered their personal life, interests, and hobbies during workplace conversations. For example, 14% reported altering their attitude or demeanor, 8% said they changed their body language, and 12% said they changed their tone of voice.
According to the report’s authors, these data prove that the American work culture promotes fakeness. “The necessity of maintaining a separate "work identity" shows a significant disconnect between employees' authentic selves and their professional personas, highlighting a workplace culture that often demands artificiality for perceived success," the report said.
While some may argue that it’s normal and even healthy for workers to behave differently at work, this study’s authors argue that these data demonstrate a kind of worker stress that necessitates employer intervention. “The prevalence of work-life balance and toxic work environments as primary drivers for seeking a ‘Severance’ solution illustrates the urgent need for employers to address the detrimental impact of workplace stress on employee wellbeing.
"With a majority feeling pressure to conform and over a third willing to ‘sever’ their work identity entirely, the data underscores the emotional toll of workplace expectations. 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.”
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