Divorce's Impact on Work Productivity

In these post-Covid days with many of us now working remotely, our personal and professional lives are intertwined more than ever before. It is therefore not surprising that stressful experiences such as divorce or separation have an increased impact on our performance at work. 

Some of us may not realize, however, the scale of the disruption this causes. With 42% of marriages ending in separation, it is almost guaranteed that any employer will have a portion of their employees affected by these types of circumstances. Beyond the duty of care toward their workers, employers should be particularly alarmed by the repercussions this will have on their bottom line. 

A recent study by Rayden Solicitors found that 79% of employees feel that their divorce had an impact on their ability to work. A similar study by the Nashville Business Journal estimated that employee productivity falls by 40% during the first 6 months of divorce. For one year after the divorce, employee productivity remains down 20%; co-workers lose 2 percent; and the supervisor loses 1 percent. According to the study, productivity continues to suffer on some level for 7 years! In this context, it is difficult for employers to ignore the impact of divorce and separation on their employees, and on their business itself. 

There can be an impact on employee productivity and focus before divorce proceedings are even initiated because most divorcees report taking two to four years to decide to file the paperwork.

In raising the awareness of employers on the importance of providing support to their employees in this particularly stressful life transition, it is essential to highlight the multi-dimensional impact of divorce. 

We all know, of course, that family breakups are highly emotional and upsetting. The effect this has on someone’s sense of identity, stability, and family dynamics is significant. But beyond these considerations, divorce also directly affects people’s finances, their living conditions, their sense of community, and their friendships. And, as explained at the start of this article, their professional lives. 

Time required for the “business of divorce”

Unless you have personally experienced divorce or separation, it is hard to imagine the sheer volume of time that gets sucked into preparing and managing the process. Aside from the many hours that people spend worrying about their now uncertain future, there is a daunting amount of logistical and practical matters to address. 

The legal process itself requires countless hours of gathering financial information and account statements, communicating with divorce professionals, negotiating with your spouse, and submitting information. Whether spouses attempt to negotiate an arrangement themselves, work with a mediator, or head to court to settle disputes, they will have to spend time preparing for these conversations to make the most of them. Entire days can also be spent attending court hearings or mediation, again taking employees away from their jobs for large periods of time. 

Rayden Solicitor’s study found that 23% of workers who went through a divorce or separation had to take sick or unpaid leave. This is far from surprising: when you are a parent and have a job to focus on, tackling divorce only adds to the everyday responsibilities that life already requires of you. 

Besides the legal process itself, divorce consumes a significant amount of time working through important life decisions, such as where you will live, what a good parental plan might look like for you and your children, and issues such as deciding who gets to keep the car. 

In cases where one parent leaves the house during the divorce process, there might be additional childcare responsibilities for the remaining parent who now can no longer afford to stay late at the office or travel for work. Add to all this the time parents often want to dedicate to spending quality time with their children to reassure them and support them, and you are faced with a daily schedule that can feel completely out of control and frankly overwhelming.

There is one final thing to consider: in most cases, divorce involves at least one of the two spouses moving out of the family home. Finding a new property, organizing the move, splitting up the furniture, and buying what is now missing takes time and effort. Moving is without a doubt a tiring, time-consuming, and stressful event, so imagine having to do it at a time when you are grieving over a lost marriage and navigating a sea of uncertainty.

Employees lose an average of 168 hours of work time the year after divorce as they adjust to their new lifestyles.

The impact of divorce on workers’ mental health

Mental health is probably the main element people think of when considering the impact of family breakups on job performance. According to the previously mentioned study by Rayden Solicitors, 60% of employees reported that their divorce had an impact on their mental health. This is reinforced by long-standing research dating back to the 1960s, which shows that divorce is the second most stressful event after the death of a spouse. Unsurprisingly, when someone is experiencing such turmoil, upset, and grief, it is particularly difficult for them to concentrate on their work.

In the best scenarios, employees take time out of their busy days to speak to a therapist or a coach who will help them stay on track and manage their emotions. But even with such support, it isn’t uncommon for these individuals to experience depression or trauma. This will impact their energy levels, concentration, and stamina. It also significantly increases the risk of the employee needing to take sick leave for stress or other related conditions. 

Employers must understand that it is extremely difficult to leave these personal challenges at the office door when someone is experiencing such intense changes in their life. Just like people are given time off for bereavement, they should be given time off to deal with the emotional toll of divorce. 

The grieving process is surprisingly similar: in both cases, the employee is grieving the loss of someone they loved and the future they had envisaged with them. Nonetheless, while 43% of businesses now have a bereavement policy, very few have a Family Breakdown Policy to support employees during divorce and separation. Even without such a policy in place, there is a lot that businesses can offer to help ease the professional impact of family breakups. 

Because of the stigma that is still associated with divorce, and possibly for other personal reasons, many employees may not wish to share their marital issues with their employer. However, they can still benefit from relevant support in less obvious ways via carefully crafted well-being strategies and benefits packages. 

Well-being strategies to help divorced workers

Many people going through divorce say that they feel unsupported at work, or unable to share their feelings. Well-being strategies could include services such as free conferences and training on co-parenting or conflict management for example. These are great ways of discussing the challenges faced during divorce in a subtle yet helpful manner. 

Additionally, employers can review their benefits packages to include options that support employees experiencing divorce, as well as other vulnerable staff. Benefits such as flexible working options and paid time off, access to free therapy, mediation or coaching, or subsidized childcare are typical examples. 

Divorce and financial stress

Last but not least, divorce creates a significant amount of financial insecurity and stress. A Good Housekeeping survey indicated that nearly 70 percent of people going through divorce experience financial strain. 

The average cost of divorce for an employee earning $20/hour is $8,000.

Because marital assets are being divided, most people come out of their divorce worse off financially than in the past. On average, wives’ household income drops by 41% post-divorce, and husbands’ reduces by 21%. 

But before an agreement is even found (or imposed by a judge), there is a long period of uncertainty in which neither spouse knows what they will ultimately receive, what new financial responsibilities they may have to take on, and how they will make ends meet as a single-income household. 

Added to this is the financial cost of the divorce itself, which is vastly exacerbated if the couple goes to court. These expenses are rarely retrieved at the other end and accumulate at a speed that is often frightening. 

How employers can support their employees during and after divorce

Job stability is paramount to providing some sense of safety and welfare. An employer who understands the impact a divorce can have on their employees’ performance and ability to operate as before can be a huge source of comfort for those who are already feeling so vulnerable. 

Knowing that their family crisis isn’t going to negatively impact their career or even their job takes a massive burden off the divorcing individual’s shoulders. It also guarantees a degree of loyalty to an employer and subsequently reduces staff turnover, which currently sits at around 10% within 12 months of getting divorced.

With 57% of employees feeling like they have not received the required support from their employers during their divorce, raising awareness of the impact of divorce on employee performance is key. Deepening our understanding of the multiple challenges and consequences of divorce on people’s professional lives will help everyone provide the type of support that is required during that time. 

It is easy for employers to consider marital breakups as being part of the private sphere. But reality shows that it very much impacts the “professional sphere” as well. Providing job and income security, as well as free resources to employees experiencing these transitions, is not only the right thing to do, it is a long-term investment in the business’ employee experience and retention strategy. For those experiencing divorce, knowing that their employer will have their back during this difficult period of time is incredibly important. In the meantime, they can certainly work with their divorce coach to help set boundaries between work and home, as well as to decide how to communicate divorce-related needs to their employer.