There are many collateral consequences of divorce, some of which can be more unpredictable than others. While many people eventually bounce back after a divorce and refocus on their careers, they could experience career setbacks during and immediately after their divorce proceedings.
The emotional roller coaster of divorce can sometimes bleed over into a career, resulting in changing dynamics in the workplace. Other times, mentally and emotionally focusing on the end of a marriage might mean that an individual’s job performance temporarily declines. There are also the practical considerations of divorce, including changes to insurance coverage and the possibility of payroll withholding to cover child support and other financial obligations.
When should a professional preparing for divorce disclose their change in marital status to their employer?
Early disclosure is often beneficial
Even professionals who pride themselves on keeping their personal lives separate from their careers may benefit from telling management or the human resources team at their company about the divorce. Awareness of their challenging personal circumstances can lead to a bit more lenience when evaluating work performance.
Scheduling issues and slight declines in productivity may be less likely to trigger disciplinary action when the company understands the reason for those changes. Additionally, managers and coworkers may be a bit more patient and compassionate towards someone going through a divorce. If nothing else, Human Resources likely needs to know about the change in marital status at the end of the divorce process to make appropriate adjustments to any company benefits.
Timing is everything when disclosing a divorce
Choosing the right time to notify management and Human Resources about an upcoming divorce can be difficult. Usually, it is preferable to make disclosures before a worker finds themselves facing scheduling nightmares or pushback over perceived changes to their job performance.
While conversations about an upcoming divorce can be difficult to have, they can ultimately protect a divorcing employee from the worst-case scenario in which their career suffers setbacks at the same time that their personal life goes through abrupt changes.
Having the right support during the divorce process can make it easier for skilled professionals to avoid job issues during the divorce process, and give them a place to discuss important decisions, like when they should inform their supervisor of an impending divorce. Those who acquire help early in the divorce process are less likely to make mistakes that may harm them in the long run.
