Divorce Balance

Negotiation > Recovery > Enhancement

Friday, December 3, 2004
Why Your Boss Should Care

When I see a "lifestyle" feature in the local business weekly, it gets my attention.

In this case, I'm talking about the last issue of Business Review. They focus on per capita health insurance costs that go up by at least $1,500 for a demographic impacting two-thirds of Michigan adults; in that case, people who are overweight. Bean counters react to numbers like that (if you'll forgive the pun).

And how much does your divorce cost your employer?

I am not trying to shift the focus here, nor am I suggesting that we argue about which is of more consequence. Indeed, all too often, the issues are related. During the course of a divorce trial, my own weight fluctuated by 22 pounds, for example. That's a health thing, sure. It also cost me a wardrobe.

But set those things aside and we should still convince your boss that he or she has serious money at risk through your divorce.

Yes — you paid your legal bills. The fees for the forensic accountant who valuated your rental properties came out of marital assets. And your spouse was ordered by the court to pick up the tab for the independent custody evaluation.

On top of that, the 20% of men experiencing the worst marital distress lose an additional one day off the job per month, according to the August 1996 Journal of Marriage and Family. Aw, phooey: What's a day worth?

Approximately $1,752 per year.

Adjusted for inflation, that's a little over two grand in 2003 currency.

In my own practice, clients self-report an average 10% decline in their own job performances concurrent with divorce lead-in, process and post-Judgment challenges. I developed surveys to assess all divorce recovery workshops I've been involved with since 2001. Last summer, I drew from 223 cases for metrics on areas where expert program content and facilitation can mitigate the divorce debits on your employer's P&L statement.

Following are participant disposition shifts between intake and the fifth week of program completion.

• Self-control and self-determination increased 38%

• Feelings of "immobilization" decreased 21%

• Anger decreased 39%

Additionally, my program participants felt 22% less "reactive" and 25% less "impulsive."

Can we add anything more to this vis-à-vis divorce?

Try this. For a moment, let's say there is absolutely no impact on your professional functioning until the day your Judgment of Divorce is entered. (I know, that's ridiculous, but humor me.)

Okay, a total of 39,003 divorces were finalized in 2003.  And you'll remember that I cited above some research from the Journal of Marriage and Family that puts a price tag on this of $2,007.48 per year (in 2003 dollars): Lost productivity for the top 20% of the men in these cases, i.e., 7,800 husbands. Let me be crystal clear here: This only looks at what's going on with one out of five men as they experience divorce, and doesn't recognize the emotional impact on women at all.

Still, that works out to $15,659,548 annually. Now double that, because we know from Dr. E. Mavis Hetherington that the crisis period is at least two years, meaning that even as these men come into their first year of burden, there is the perpetuating economic impact of the divorcés from 2002 who will continue through their second year right along side the class of 2003.

So what about the other 80% of the men — and 100% of the women? Assume they are only one-tenth as affected (using numbers reported to me), and they are able to "move on" in half the time. That's still another $14 million-plus per year.

• Divorce will cost Michigan employers well-over $45,412,751 in lost productivity each and every year.

Since I made a commitment to my Granny Reeves never to compromise the contribution of butter in her recipe for Norwegian Sandbakkelse, I can't react to the Business Review feature. But there are all sorts of ways we can help employers help themselves by supporting the devoted employees who are their most important human resources.

—posted by Dell Deaton @1:39 PM EST 12/3/2004 [675]

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