Work Life Balance

Work Life Balance.

The age old term. More recently, we've heard about Work Life Integration. Last week, I watched a show called Severance (9 episodes) on Apple TV, which takes the work-life concept to another level. While the post below talks about the show's premise & I've tried to keep it spoiler-free, you may stop reading at this point in case you still wish to. 

So this show is about a unique firm. While the nature of the firm's operations is not known, it is shown that the firm has a unique way of treating all its employees. Every new employee has a chip implanted in their heads due to which their personal and professional lives are severed. Basically, the moment they walk into their office, they only have memories of the past life they spent in the office and none of the time spent outside of it. When they leave the office, they only have memories of their personal life they spent so far and none of the time spent at the office. 

While it is one of the best shows I have seen in the recent past, it has a season finale that will leave you gasping for more. A masterpiece. The reason for this post, though, is not to just appreciate the creative / artistic appeal of the show, but to also appreciate how deeply it captures human lives, the way we live our times at work and outside of it. 

- The show beautifully captures how organizations can influence an individual's freedom, rights and their core values without them even realizing it as they live through the values and rules set by the organization, believing it to be the only right way to exist. 

- It depicts how individuals seek solace at workplaces to forget/move away from challenges/grief we face in our personal lives and how slowly, our perceived self worth is defined by the place we work at.

- We've been hearing how important it is for managers and organizations to be empathetic towards their workforce and their personal/individual needs and situations. But the firm in the show optimizes its employees to leave out all their personal life thoughts and matters outside the office building, in order to ensure they operate with maximum efficiency, but do they manage to achieve the goal? 

There is so much more to talk about the show and its treatment of individuals at work, but I'll leave it for you to watch the show and soak it in. 

I assure you, it will be time well-spent. The show has left me gasping for more, and I hope there is a second season to it.