Nine out of ten employees going through a divorce said their work performance was impacted, finds survey

January 2023

Nine out of ten employees going through a divorce said their work performance was impacted: A survey of people who have gone through separation or divorce has revealed that the vast majority (90%) said their performance at work was impacted by the life-changing event, with three-quarters saying they were ‘less efficient’.

The survey by the Positive Parenting Alliance (PPA) polled 200 workers in the UK across a range of businesses, also, finding that 95% of people who had experienced separation or divorce suffered mental health challenges during this time.

The stress brought about by divorce left many people feeling that they needed to take time off work to deal with it (39%), with around one in ten saying they gave up work altogether (11%).

The fear of losing their job during this time, or of having to leave voluntarily, was present for more than half the respondents polled (52%), however, when asked whether their employer had any specific policies to help employees who were experiencing divorce or separation just 9% said their employer had.

Sir Andrew McFarlane, president of the family division of the High Court, said that employers should be "treating separation as a significant life event, like bereavement or serious illness."

To help people going through separation and divorce some of the UK's major employers including Asda, Tesco, Metro Bank, NatWest, PwC, Unilever and Vodafone have committed to a new initiative led by the PPA.

James Hayhurst, Founder of the Positive Parenting Alliance, said:

“Currently few employers recognise or accommodate for employees going through a divorce or separation, even though it affects large numbers annually, and is a huge strain on an individual’s mental health.

 “The survey findings are a wake-up call for UK businesses, which is why the fact that some of the country’s biggest employers have agreed to make the positive commitment to improving their HR policies is such a major step in employee benefits and wellbeing.”