Skip to main content

State of Marriage & Impact on Workplace

By
Recently on Fox News I was watching a segment on the current status of Marriage in the US and was a bit shocked. I knew more people were getting divorces than they had in past years but didn't realize how staggering the numbers actually were. Since 1970 the marriage rate has dropped from over 80% to just over 50%. The guest also indicated that when children are reared in a home where parents are married to each other they are 80% less likely to be in poverty as an adult and abuse drugs and alcohol. The most staggering statistic was that over 40% of babies are now brought into this world by a single mother. As I listened to this segment I could not help but think how this possibly has and will continue to impact the workforce.

The biggest impact I could think of only based on my own experience with marriage now going on for almost 25 years is communication and teamwork.  Funny thing (well not really) is the communication and teamwork are also a primary problem working the workplace. It affects success and when really out of hand (such as bullying) it affects people on a physical and mental level. 

If a workplace doesn't have an employee assistance program (EAP) it is most likely to have repetitive issues. When employees are not happy at home they often take that into the workplace and vice versa. EAPs provide a confidential way for employees to vent about whatever is going on at home or work. Employees typically have three FREE meetings before having to turnover
 the discussion for coverage under THIER health are plan. By that time the coach can often diagnose the situation, offer follow-up resources, as well as suggest tools to be used in future conversations.  
In addition, some EAPs offer legal and financial advice for employees who are considering a divorce. Just having the conversation with any one of these resources could possibly make a difference. 

Imagine how many marriages could be saved and how much productivity could be recovered havingresources for   employees to have assistance in such a life-changing journey. 

The photo is of me on my wedding day almost 25 years ago. It's not been easy but I have used the EAP a few times with various employers and it has wholeheartedly helped.  My dad (walking me down the isle) who died last year from cancer struggled through three marriages. I watched times in our lives where it truly affected his workplace performance. He did not have any resources available and often didn't have insurance that would have covered anything but a serious physical health condition. Stop the tragedy of divorce and make a difference for your employees today. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for your comment.

Popular posts from this blog

55 Active Job Search Sites (Updated 7/19)

By
I had a company encouraging me to update this list over the last couple of months.  Since they focus on veteran hiring and I am a veteran supporting other veterans I am happy to add the following to this original posting from 2017. Silent Professionals is a free veteran recruitment service. Their differentiating factor is that they focus on a very specific subset of veteran employment which is the combat arms veteran. Their site is much more than just a job board because they actually provide a service behind it which is all free to the veteran. As combat veterans themselves, with a vast amount of experience in the private security sector, they are able to use that experience and influence within the industry to act as trusted advocates for the veteran candidate. They boast an incredible 84% job placement success rate for candidates that they recommend to employers. One of the reasons they're able to do that is because of their focus on jobs for combat veterans who are seek...
Post a Comment
Read more

Is the Good Ole' Boy Network a Myth or Reality?

By
The following was originally written in 2011 and posted on the Women of HR site here: http://womenofhr.com/is-the-good-ol%E2%80%99-boy-network-just-a-myth/ As I prepare for a program on harassment and discrimination to be delivered at the Danville Community College later this month, I was reminded of this post and thought I would share again here. From the archives: From Women of HR By Donna Rogers, SPHR, SHRM-SCP The following are a few hypothetical (not really) life stories related to human resources, being a woman in what is still in some circles ‘a man’s world’ and organizational behavior. At the end of each story, I challenge you to put yourself in the position of anyone in this story and comment on whether or not you think the “ good ol’ boy ” network is a myth or has a touch of reality. There are no right or wrong answers. Have fun! Myth or reality? A fully qualified female non-commissioned officer applies for a commissioned officer position within a department for which she ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What HR should know about Evacuation and Re-entry Post Disaster

By
To continue our focus on Disaster Preparedness this month, I would like to introduce guest author, Kendall Herbert who specializes in Emergency Management and will be in the job market next Spring after graduating with his Bachelors degree in Emergency Management.  Look for other topics along these lines to come. Evacuation and re-entry are important parts of keeping organizations prepared for disasters. It can be the different between a long drawn out process leaving everyone confused, or quicker one which would allow more time to work. Being prepared and taking time in advance can save organizations time and money in the long run. For example, when there is a gas leak within a building what steps are people immediately going to do? ·          Evacuate the building, ·          meet up in the designated location, and ·          wait until told...
Post a Comment
Read more