Working through divorce: liberating or stressful?

On the list of the most stressful things that can happen in life, divorce is second, right after the death of a loved one. However, despite being an event that alters many aspects of life, including a person’s efficiency and behavior within the company, it is rarely an issue that is discussed.

In Mexico, the divorce rate is close to 20%, in the United States it exceeds 50%, while in Belgium it reaches 70%. Do these statistics affect productivity or happiness at work? Yes, says Alicia Bassuk, executive coach , to the magazine Expansión in its special edition CEO of Alta Gestión, July 2015.

Bassuk  recently got divorced . She believes that this situation has encouraged her to raise her professional goals. However, other people may prefer to take a break. Therefore, it is an issue that should be on the agenda of companies.

“Divorce leave, with or without pay, can be a benefit at work,” explains Bassuk, who works with executives from different countries and counts companies such as Google and Barclays among her clients. Although divorce is traumatic , it does not eliminate opportunities to grow as a leader.

“It has to do with someone’s tenacity and personality,” says the consultant. “If you are a thoughtful, curious person who asks questions to learn from experience, you will grow,” says Bassuk, a magazine whose subscription is available at Grupo Expansión’s Digital Kiosk.

How are companies affected by divorces?

Divorces are stressful and energy-consuming. They can temporarily impact an employee’s concentration and productivity. However, many executives will find themselves working harder to free themselves from the burden of their personal problems. In this case, the employee can raise his or her goals and performance.

That’s what happened to me. In terms of staff losses , there’s a story I heard. A dog is lying on a nail on the floor. He might lie there for a while, but when he gets up, he’s going to realize that it’s a relief not to have the nail bothering him.

If this is what happens with divorce, the employee might realize that there is also a nail in the ground at work, and in such cases, he or she will look for relief and might find a role in the company that suits him or her better, or perhaps a place in another company.

What happens when a divorce occurs between the owners of a company, as in the case of Jorge Vergara and Angélica Fuentes, founders of Omnilife and owners of the Chivas soccer team?

First, the team’s financial solvency could be at risk if it becomes an object under the terms of the divorce agreement.

This can also bring concerns to the players and those who work in the team about their continuity, about the change of owners, about their salary.

So what’s a leader to do? He or she should have very clear boundaries. If you have co-workers with whom you relate well and who are empathetic to your well-being, you can trust them, but there’s no need to announce it to the entire company.

Never?

There is a saying that says, “Define yourself before you are defined.” If the issue is going to be very disruptive, you have to get ahead of these circumstances. But there are many cases where sharing is not so important.

Can you request a divorce leave with or without pay?

I’ve never heard of this before. Recently, Richard Branson announced that his employees can take a whole year off when their babies are born. This issue has been very public. Divorce leave with or without pay can become a major issue when it comes to benefits at work.

On the one hand, it makes sense for companies to allow divorce leave so that their employees have more time to deal with their personal chaos. On the other hand, it is worth considering that sometimes the people who perform best are those who have learned profound life lessons through divorce and immediately apply them at work.

Does divorce affect your chances of getting a job or a promotion?

There is no reason for it to affect you. The important thing is that you can decide whether your experiences define you as a person or you can just react and allow the experiences to determine where you go and be like a leaf in the wind. It is really up to you, whether you want to learn and grow from this experience or any other.