Listening to Employees: A Key to Workplace Wellbeing

The popular series Separación on Apple TV+ presents a stark fictional reality: employees have two separate versions of themselves, one at work and one at home. Their memories of one life are erased when they enter the other, creating a perfect, yet impossible, division between professional and personal existence.

While this concept serves as compelling drama, it highlights a fundamental flaw in how many modern workplaces operate. The idea that employees can simply leave their personal problems at the door is a myth that ignores the complex reality of human experience.

"Es imposible desconectar de tu vida cuando entras a trabajar. Las personas no podemos hacer como que no nos pasa nada."

This insight from a psychological perspective challenges the traditional corporate model, suggesting that true wellbeing requires a more integrated approach to employee care.

Enrique Matarín, a psychologist and coach who works with companies to improve employee wellbeing, emphasizes a crucial shift in perspective. He argues that organizations must recognize that their workers are not just employees, but whole people with complex lives outside the office.

The traditional expectation that workers should compartmentalize their emotions and personal struggles is increasingly seen as unsustainable. When employees are forced to suppress their personal concerns during work hours, it can lead to increased stress, decreased productivity, and overall diminished wellbeing.

Key principles for modern workplace wellness include:

• Recognizing employees as complete individuals with lives beyond their job titles
• Understanding that personal and professional lives are inherently interconnected
• Creating environments where authenticity is valued over forced compartmentalization
• Developing leadership approaches that acknowledge the whole person

The psychological impact of this approach extends beyond individual employees to the entire organizational culture.

Experts recommend establishing safe spaces where workers can openly discuss their concerns without fear of judgment or professional repercussions. These environments should allow for conversations about both workplace challenges and personal matters that may be affecting an employee's overall state of being.

The concept of psychological safety in the workplace has gained significant traction in recent years. When employees feel secure enough to bring their whole selves to work, organizations benefit from increased engagement, creativity, and loyalty.

Benefits of authentic workplace environments include:

• Reduced stress and burnout among employees
• Improved communication and collaboration across teams
• Enhanced problem-solving capabilities
• Greater employee retention and satisfaction

The shift toward more human-centered workplace practices represents a fundamental rethinking of what it means to be an employee in the modern world.

Organizational leadership plays a pivotal role in implementing these changes. Enrique Matarín works directly with companies to help them develop strategies that prioritize employee wellbeing through better listening and communication practices.

The process begins with leadership acknowledging that the traditional separation between work and personal life is largely artificial. By modeling vulnerability and openness, leaders can create a culture where employees feel comfortable expressing their full range of experiences and emotions.

Effective leadership strategies for employee wellbeing:

• Regular check-ins that go beyond task completion
• Training managers to recognize signs of personal struggle
• Creating formal channels for discussing non-work concerns
• Developing policies that accommodate the whole person

When leaders demonstrate that they value employees as complete individuals, the entire organization benefits from a more engaged and healthy workforce.

While Separación presents an extreme version of work-life separation, it serves as a powerful metaphor for the real challenges facing modern workers. The series' premise—that memories can be selectively erased—mirrors the unrealistic expectations placed on employees to simply "turn off" their personal lives when they enter the workplace.

The reality is that human beings cannot compartmentalize their experiences so cleanly. Personal stressors inevitably affect work performance, and workplace challenges follow employees home. Recognizing this interconnectedness is the first step toward creating healthier, more sustainable work environments.

Organizations that embrace this reality are better positioned to:

• Support employees through life's inevitable challenges
• Build resilient teams that can adapt to change
• Foster innovation through authentic collaboration
• Create lasting positive impact on employee wellbeing

The future of work depends on our ability to see employees not as resources to be managed, but as people to be supported.

The conversation around employee wellbeing is evolving beyond traditional benefits packages and wellness programs. At its core, this shift requires a fundamental recognition that employees are whole people whose personal and professional lives are inextricably linked.

Organizations that succeed in creating truly supportive environments will be those that prioritize authentic listening and create safe spaces for employees to bring their full selves to work. This approach not only benefits individual employees but also drives organizational success through increased engagement, creativity, and resilience.

The path forward requires courage from leadership to challenge outdated norms and commit to more human-centered workplace practices. As we move beyond the fiction of perfect separation, we can build workplaces that truly support the complete wellbeing of every employee.