In the middle of personal tragedies, sometimes the hardest thing to deal with is that life goes on. While going through a divorce, there are still bills to pay, dishes to wash and laundry to fold. The grass will continue to go and the boss will expect employees to show up — even those going through marital troubles. Michigan couples may struggle with this and wonder how best to behave at the office when things at home are falling apart.
Divorce counselors suggest that those dealing with a divorce should remain as professional as possible while on the job. In fact, for their own protection, divorcing employees may wish to inform only those who need to know that they are divorcing, at least at first. These people may include the boss and any teammates or office partners. In this way, those people will understand if their divorcing co-worker needs to take a phone call or seems distracted or moody.
However, bringing those emotions to work is not recommended, difficult as it may seem. Some divorcing workers find the duties of the job are a good distraction from the troubles at home, and they keep any paperwork pertaining to the divorce at home and not at the office. They also try to keep workplace conversations about the divorce at a minimum to avoid burdening their co-workers with the dreary details or having some unguarded comment misheard and communicated to the other spouse.
It is not unusual for a person’s work to suffer while going through a divorce, but with an understanding boss and co-workers, the office may actually be a refuge from the drama. Certainly, having one’s divorce proceed as smoothly as possible will allow one to quickly regain focus and come out with a positive view to the future. A Michigan attorney can assist in exploring the most agreeable options for divorce, including mediation.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Dealing with Divorce in the Workplace“, Debbie Martinez, Aug. 18, 2017
