A Message for GenZ: work and care can thrive side-by-side
Apple’s hit show ‘Severance’ explores the impossibility of separating work and family life
In anticipation of our forthcoming report on the coworking and childcare model, The Thread has published our article looking at how optimistic the incoming Gen Z workforce can be about meeting their expectations for “work-life balance”.
The article references the interviews and settings audit of global co-located settings and looks at research about the changing nature of remote working — and argues for its importance. Inspired by a survey claiming almost half of the next generation of the workforce would choose ‘severance’ (the surgical separation of the brain to keep the office distinct from home and family), we wanted to counter the simplistic view that there must always be binary choices such as working from home versus the office, and there can be collective and community-centred solutions.
“In a moment where many feel alienated by work, abandoned by institutions, and unsupported as parents or caregivers, these spaces offer a glimpse of structural transformation. They show what’s possible when care is not an afterthought but at the foundation of a life that balances work and home.
To meet the needs of the emerging workforce, we need to reimagine and invest in physical places where work and care coexist. These gathering spaces can help dismantle gender, relationship, and racial inequities in the workforce and outside world—as well as counter those calls “back to the office.”
To achieve harmony between work, family, and care—and create the balance that Gen Z is asking for—we need more spaces where care and connection are valued as much as profit and productivity.”