If divorce is in your future in the upcoming months, you may be concerned about the effect it will have on your work. That’s a common concern. Any major life event, positive or negative, is hard to leave at the door when you walk into your workplace or even sit down at your computer if you work remotely.
Aside from emotional issues that are hard to put aside, you may have numerous practical issues. These can include everything from moving to a new home and greater childcare needs to financial changes and the logistics of attorney meetings and court dates.
Studies show that divorce affects work differently for different people
You may be heartened by the results of two studies conducted by University of Minnesota researchers on the effect of divorce on people’s work. The results were decidedly mixed.
In one study, for example, while 44% of respondents said their divorce had a negative effect on their ability to do their job, nearly 39% said that the effect was actually positive. The other study looked at circumstances around divorces and how those affected job performance. Those respondents who said they believed they had had a good marriage were more likely to report that their divorce negatively affected their work.
Those who said they felt they were financially worse off after their divorce also reported adverse job effects. Further, divorcing parents were less likely to say that their divorce negatively affected their job than those without children.
A professor who led the study noted that those who reported a positive effect on their job “shared that their divorce removed a large stress burden from their lives and they had more energy to tackle career goals.” On another positive note, people who reported that their job performance suffered during their divorce said that it improved in the year following it – along with their physical and emotional well-being.
How people feel about the divorce and the post-divorce future matters
Certainly, people who believe that their divorce is for the best and that their life will be better after the marriage is over are more likely to weather the process better than those who are divorcing against their wishes. Further, feeling financially secure when the divorce is over relevant to how much stress and worry a person carries around and into the workplace.
Having experienced legal guidance is an important first step in helping things go as smoothly as possible and working toward the best possible agreements.
