If you work hard to keep your work life separate from your personal life, you may increase those efforts during your divorce. That could harm you if you do not realize how divorce affects your work and how to mitigate those effects.
Fast Company offers ways to handle divorce in the workplace. You deserve to protect all the time and energy you invested in your career while dissolving your marriage.
Know whom to tell
While you may limit how many personal details you share with your boss, sharing the news of your divorce may become essential. Your divorce could hamper your work productivity, and your supervisor should know why you may underperform. You could also need to take time off work for meetings with your lawyer and court appearances.
Another person to tell is an HR representative. Divorcing means you must change your health insurance, retirement or pension plan and any other insurance plans you have through your company. You probably need to change your tax withholdings as a soon-to-be single person.
Create an earning plan
Going from a two-income household to a single-income household may come with more financial challenges than you realize. Look over your current budget to determine where and how to adjust things to meet all your financial obligations. You could need to ask for a raise or earn a promotion to stay financially afloat.
Do you and your current spouse share children? You may need to change your work schedule and job duties to meet your custody obligations and spend more time with your kids.
You do not have to let your divorce upend your career. With the right strategy, you understand how to navigate the changes in stride.