Divorce’s Effect on the Workplace
This can be a very difficult time for those going through a divorce or the breakup of their cohabitation relationship. It’s not uncommon for the effects of a divorce on one’s professional life to spill over into private life. Divorce carries so many unanswered questions that it often leaves people perplexed, fearful, and unsure of how to proceed.
Many divorcees seek individual counseling to help them heal and deal with the divorce process in a more private way. Therapists may not be able to help their patients understand divorce in order to alleviate their worries about the legal process, financial impact, or child custody and visitation issues. As a result, a person’s world is turned upside down, resulting in distressing and unsettling feelings. Anxiety and depression in the workplace can have far-reaching consequences.
Divorce is consistently ranked second on a list of the most stressful life events, following only the death of a spouse or child. When people are going through the divorce process, their ability to focus at work can be affected.
The effects of divorce can be felt in the workplace; at the most extreme, it can result in a person losing their job, as well as a significant portion of their wealth, and it can even have a negative impact on the reputation of the organization. Many people succumb to the pressure of juggling work and divorce because they lack the self-confidence to handle the two at the same time.
Divorce in the Workplace: Effects
Divorce has been shown to have a negative impact on productivity in the workplace. A cost-benefit analysis of the effects of divorce in the workplace would show that the financial costs to the company can be enormous. According to the findings of the study:
- Every year, divorced employees cost a company an average of $83,171.
- Employers may incur significant costs as a result of disputes over child custody, including those related to health insurance administration, employee absences, court appearances, and reduced working hours for divorcing employees.
- Employee productivity can take up to five years to recover after a divorce.
- Workers who are involved in domestic disputes are unable to travel or work overtime.
As a result, marital separation and/or divorce can have a much more dramatic impact on the organization, such as removing important employees from the workplace and having a significant impact on the organization’s business. Employees and employers can both benefit when an employer is able to provide assistance during this stressful, potentially distracting, and all-too-common situation.
They make more mistakes and complete their tasks more slowly if they’re distracted. Their ability to think creatively will suffer if they are depressed. Some people may project their anger onto coworkers or even customers when they’re in a bad mood.
This new phase of life, the new family structure, the superior parenting skills required, and the shared parental responsibility necessary must be better understood in order to overcome these challenges. An employee’s understanding of the divorce process and the impact it has on their lives will improve if they are taught how to deal with it.
With this, employers will see a return on their investment because their employees’ productivity isn’t as slashed.
If one of the spouses is serving in the military, you should speak with an attorney. Your lawyer can help you evaluate your options and inform you of your SCRA rights.
