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Employers know that parents worry about their children, and sometimes are preoccupied with thoughts about their children’s health and well-being while at work. To be sure employees going through a litigated divorce are often preoccupied with the process and worry about the outcome.
What about after the fact, once the divorce is finalized the child custody agreement and parenting plan is in place; are parents done being preoccupied with these issues at work? Too often the answer is NO.
Presenteeism is a significant issue for employers. Presenteeism refers to those employees who show up to work as scheduled, but are prevented from full productivity due to preoccupation and distraction with outside issues. Employees are present putting in their time, but their general productivity and output is significantly impaired.
It is fair to say that one would expect this potential for preoccupation if a child is sick, or if the employee is going through a divorce. But what about a parent who is living with a custody agreement and parenting plan that they did not design?
Most litigated custody agreements are the product of the opposing attorneys working out an agreement that they (the attorneys) can live with – despite the fact that they are not the ones that have to live with the agreement. The attorneys not only are creating a plan through an adversarial process that promotes conflict, they are also bringing their feelings about the other side, their understanding of what is important, and their own parenting biases into the process. What can emerge from the litigated process is a custody agreement and parenting plan that “is the best you are going to get”, but does not necessarily reflect what would work best for either parent or the children.
How can such a contract by which a parent has to operate – but did not create – not impact that employee at work? Since they did not create the plan themselves there are several issues that can be problematic for a parent and may result in distraction and preoccupation at work, even as straightforward as a parent’s special work schedules or considerations not being taken in account in the custody agreement or parenting plan. The litigation process can also increase the conflict between parents, thus decreasing their ability to effectively communicate about parenting issues.
The possible items that can cause parental distress are numerous and unique to each parent and child. However, what is consistent is that most parents have a difficult time turning personal parenting-related worries off at work. This results in presenteeism.
Mediated Divorces, Child Custody Agreements, and Parenting Plans result in less stress and dissatisfaction
Parents who mediate their custody agreements and parenting plans have a different experience with the resolution process, the resultant agreement, ongoing communication with the other parent, and parenting under the terms of the “contract”.
Employees who mediate their child custody agreement and parenting plan, remain in control of the process at all times. They are the experts of their family – and they are the ones creating the agreement and planning for what will work best for them. As a result the preoccupation with parenting or children related issues is less. Employees experience day to day parenting and work experiences with less stress and more focus.
As a result of mediated parenting & custody agreements, the stress of parenting as a divorced, separated, or single parent is lessened – reducing the affect on productivity: Presenteeism is lessened.
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Additional Reading
- Employee Mediation Benefit
- Employee Mediation Benefit Increases EAP Effectiveness
- Role of Emotions in Conflict
- Mediation Services: Child Custody & Parenting Plan
- Offering Employee Mediation Benefit
- A Model of an Effective Employee Mediation Benefit
- CFR Mediation – Services For Employers
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Tags: child custody, divorced parent, EAP, EMB, employee, employee mediation benefit, parenting plan, presenteeism, productivity
