Breakup and divorce devastate businesses. Recent research from Harvard Business Journal shows separation reduces employee productivity by up to 40% for up to three years and up to 5% for co-workers and line managers. What’s more, 23% of workers struggling with a breakup had to take sick or unpaid leave whilst 1 in 10 resigned.
The Parents Promise survey showed 90% of employees said that separation affected their ability to work and 95% said that it impacted their mental health in the workplace.
Progressively, the UK government has backed a recent initiative to raise awareness of the impact of breakups on employees in the workplace which was supported by big firms including Tesco, Natwest and Unilever. At the launch in Parliament Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division of the High Court, said that he hoped employers will adopt the scheme and treat separation as a significant life event, like bereavement or serious illness.
Breakups have a ripple effect. They are all-consuming with an inevitable knock-on effect in every department of someone’s life. It impairs the ability to make good decisions, to focus, to stay motivated and productive and to manage teams of people.
There is often a huge impact on mental and even physical health resulting in absenteeism with time off sick and for stress. Days off are also needed for parenting, court appearances, lawyer meetings and the mountain of paperwork and admin that needs to be completed which can be overwhelming. Divorce also creates a level of uncertainty for employees, which leads to an increase in anxiety. When under higher levels of stress employees suffer from a reduced ability to handle pressure in the workplace. It can impair their judgement and reduce their productivity and effectiveness. Whilst everyone will react in their own way depending on their personality and ability to cope under pressure it will heighten emotions and can increase the risk of anger, overwhelm or depression.
Working with a specialist Accredited Breakup & Divorce Coach will enable employees to fast track their recovery with transformational tools that will enable them to cope better with any kind of breakup, separation or divorce. We specialise in providing emotional support for the rollercoaster that follows a breakup, as well as the practical challenges clients face. Coaching will provide clarity, structure and support to enable employees to reduce stress, maintain performance and productivity. We also provide support for domestic abuse and trauma recovery.