Do you have a coworker who overshares about their divorce issues in the workplace? Does it feel like you know more about their life than you should and that you suddenly double as a counselor’s office? Admittedly, divorce is a highly stressful life event, and people going through it often report higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and plenty of isolation. Unsurprisingly, they may need to talk about it—even in the workplace.
While that may be tempting, taking your divorce issues into the workplace is never a good idea.
There are many reasons, but here are just a few to consider.
Bringing Your Divorce Issues Into the Workplace Could Lead to the Following Issues:
-
Coworkers begin to avoid you
Think about how you feel when a colleague shares too much detail about their personal situation. The same is true in the reverse. In fact, it will not take long before your coworkers conveniently become unavailable for casual office conversations.
-
Damage to performance and productivity
When the challenges of a divorce spill into the workplace, they can hinder individual and team performance. Missed deadlines, reduced quality of work, and difficulty collaborating effectively with colleagues all become risks, reducing productivity and creating additional strain within the team.
-
Creates potential for workplace gossip about you and your family
When you share your divorce issues in the workplace, it can lead to speculation, misunderstandings, and judgment from coworkers. It can also cause harm to your reputation and workplace relationships.
-
Coworkers may become too involved
Even your closest coworkers can struggle to find the right balance between comforting you and dwelling on the subject at the right time and place. Those with the best intentions often find knowing the boundaries awkward.
-
Risk of professional bias
Oversharing personal information can begin to breed doubt. You can control what you say, but you cannot control how people react to it. If you create doubt at your workplace, you risk your supervisor assuming you cannot handle your position. You risk opportunities for advancement and possible job loss.
-
Losing the workplace as a refuge
When you are in the middle of a divorce, it’s easy for your thoughts to become consumed by what you are going through. As a result, the whole situation affects your mental well-being. Work can provide a much-needed mental break and a sense of normalcy. However, when you begin bringing your divorce issues into the workplace, you risk losing that critical separation.
-
Negative impact on workplace morale
Your coworkers often become accustomed to your general mood in the office, especially if you have worked together for an extended period of time or as a team. Even slight changes in your mood can easily change the dynamics and hurt overall production.
-
Distractions in the workplace
Bringing your divorce issues into the workplace creates a distraction and disrupts the office’s focus. Conversations or emotional moments related to personal matters can draw the attention of coworkers, pulling them from their jobs and creating a less efficient work environment.
-
Privacy risks for you and your ex
You can’t pull the story back once it’s out. Sharing these matters in the workplace can expose sensitive information about your marriage or divorce, leaving you and your ex vulnerable to gossip or judgment. This lack of discretion could strain relationships further or result in legal consequences.
-
Additional assumptions
Sharing too much about your divorce at work can lead your colleagues to compare it to their own experiences, potentially leading to misunderstandings or inappropriate reactions. Keeping your personal matters private helps keep boundaries intact and prevents unnecessary speculation or judgment from coworkers.
Please Call Christman | Daniell for Your Legal Needs Today!
Are you looking for family law services? Christman | Daniell Attorneys is your premier choice. With years of experience and a deep understanding of the legal landscape in cities throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area, our skilled team is dedicated to helping families navigate complex legal matters. Whether divorce, child custody, or adoption, trust Christman | Daniell Attorneys to provide compassionate and effective representation for all your family law needs.
Please consult an attorney for advice about your situation. The material on this website and in this or any blog article we publish are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. The Christman | Daniell Attorneys’ attorneys believe in tailoring legal advice and solutions to your circumstances.
We have an unwavering commitment to helping our clients at each stage of their legal situation.
