Shocking number of people admit they would undergo ‘Severance’ procedure in real life: survey

They need to get a life — or at least half of one.

A shocking new study found that over a third of real-life employees – and nearly half of the Gen-Zers polled – would prefer to be “severed,” like their favorite characters in the hit Apple TV series, “Severance.” 

Out of 2,000 UK workers surveyed, a startling 35% said they would willingly undergo a medical procedure to “sever” their work memories from their personal lives, according to data gathered by market research agency Savanta on behalf of the mental health platform Unmind.

Among 18- to 25-year-olds, that figure rose to a staggering 46%. Among workers aged 55 and over, only one in five would want to be severed.

“The fact that so many employees relate to the characters in ‘Severance’ shows just how blurred the lines between work and personal life have become,” CEO and co-founder of Unmind, Dr. Nick Taylor, said of the findings. 

The survey was conducted March 14-17, as the second season of the psychological blockbuster wrapped up.

“This research is a stark reminder of the stress and pressure people face today. No one should feel the need to completely forget about their work lives just to cope. Rather than employees feeling they need to disconnect entirely from work to protect their mental health, leaders should build cultures where people feel able to bring their whole selves to work, without feeling overwhelmed or burnt out,” Taylor said. 

An alarming percentage of workers are just as confused about their identity in the workplace as Mark, Adam Scott’s main character on “Severance,” and Britt Lower’s Helly.

Over a third of survey respondents, 38%, said they have a “work persona” that is different from their real self outside work – similar to the show’s “innies” and “outies.” Among Gen-Z workers, that figure rose to 52%.

Overall, 30% of employees feel like their job takes up too much of their identity, and makes separating their personal and professional lives a living nightmare, the survey found. 

Moreover, 41% of people struggle to “switch off” after work, 40% have been contacted by their employer outside of business hours, and 44% regularly check work emails or messages outside of work hours.

Overall, 56% of respondents said they were happy with their work-life balance, but 29% have considered quitting their job due to the lack thereof, and over a third — 36% — said they feel guilty taking time off.

Like the employees of Lumon Industries — and many real-life companies as well — one in three employees, and nearly half of Gen-Z workers, admitted pretending to be busy to appear productive at work at least once.