UK 
United States
Break ups are hard, even more so when you are trying to hold down a job and be professional while your entire world collapses. HR Grapevine spoke to Sara Davison, the divorce coach and TV personality together with Jon Gregson, Partner, Weightmans LLP about the ways employers can provide support and comfort.
Half of marriages end up in divorce
Around 56% of marriages end in divorce in the US and the UK is not far behind on 50% - a figure that increases for 2nd marriages to 67% and 3rd marriages to 74%. It’s an upward curve for the successive marriages that occur. Of more concern for employers is that up to 70% of the workforce are dealing with the effects of divorce at any one time.
Sara Davison, multi-award winning coach, podcaster, twice best-selling author, and TV commentator shares these statistics to illustrate the challenges that relationship break ups can cause to employees.
She further highlights that research shows that the cost of lost productivity to a business equates to 143% of that employee’s annual salary. The figure is alarming, even for businesses in robust financial shape.
How divorce devastates businesses
While we are few years on from the Covid-19 pandemic, for many the lockdown exacerbated and tested many relationships too far. Sadly, many married couples decided to go their separate ways when lockdown restrictions lifted causing a rise in the number of applications for divorces around that time.
Davison explains that it is vital that employers fully grasp the ripple effect that divorce has on an employee. Historically, many separating professionals would be heeded to leave their problems at the door but with the advent of better informed understanding of mental health, progress has been made and sharing personal lives in the office is far more acceptable and beneficial for mental fitness.
