Increasing Employee Productivity: How Strong Marital Relationships Can Impact the Bottom Line [Explained by Team Coach]

One of the factors that influence employee's productivity at workplace is the state of their marital relationships. When there are challenges in a person's relationships, it can be a significant distraction and drain on their energy and productivity at workplace. However, when individuals are supported and fulfilled in their personal lives, it can lead to higher focus and motivation on the workplace.

In this article, Executive Team Coach Zuzanna Borek shared about the impact of employee marital relationships on productivity and motivation in the workplace based on her experience. Through her work as a team coach, Borek has observed that relational issues with a partner can negatively affect an employee's motivation and performance. As we will explore, this highlights the importance of strong and supportive marital relationships in boosting employee productivity and benefiting the bottom line.

Increasing productivity and teamwork by supporting employees’ marital relationships: insights from Executive Team Coach

It is widely recognized that work-related stress can have a negative impact on marital relationships. It is also well known that well-being can affect work productivity. Although there is limited research on the specific link between family-related stress and work productivity, it is clear that there is a connection.

I had an experience working with a senior leadership team at a medium-sized company who wanted my help with improving their communication and teamwork, since they felt projects get constantly delayed because of their ineffective communication and little proactivity. It was a fruitful collaboration, and as they strengthened their team dynamics and relationships, they could focus on fully supporting their people. And that’s the place from where the real magic can happen. Empowered with new tools and skills they started to listen better to their employees' needs. And as a result, they came up with a legal support system, where any employee could get free legal help for up to a few hours a month. The outcome was astonishing - the overall productivity increased, but also the level of trust and safety expanded. During one of the check-ins after completion of our work, they shared some examples with me. It turned out that having issues in marital relationships that needed legal consultation was prevalent, the support that employees were looking for was around topics of divorce, separation, inheritance, loans, debts.

There is limited surveys or research that directly validate my work experience and examples from my clients, then I focused on the aspect that is easiest to measure: the effect of divorce on employee productivity. Is there data to confirm that divorce affects employees’ productivity?

Investigating the connection between problems in marital relationships and workplace productivity: research by Executive Team Coach

In fact, the Citizen's Advice Charity reported a 25% increase in visits to their divorce page in September 2020 compared to the previous year. With the added stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, it is more important than ever for HR departments to have policies in place to support employees going through a divorce or relationship breakdown.

Moreover, the 2021 Divorce in the Workplace study published by Rayden Solicitors details the impact of divorce or relationship breakdown on the ability to work and efficiency of work during that time. It also looked at the level of support from employers and how that affected workers’ situation. The study was based on employees from 133 workplaces across the UK who have gone through divorce or separation.

Overall, 79% of responders stated that divorce or relationship breakdown had an impact on their ability to work. 60% stated that this impacted their mental health in the workplace. While this is a profound number, it is hardly surprising as stress research long ago confirmed that relationship breakdown is one of the most disturbing life events. It has a measurable and potentially dangerous effect in the workplace. For 39% of respondents their productivity dropped during relationship breakdown. And 15% admitted to making errors or even being in a workplace accident.

There is a lot of room for improvement and much of it is related to the level of support employers are providing. For 42% responders the level of support they received was insufficient. This seems to be a problem of SME more than large companies - employees of SME were 4 times more likely to leave the workplace within a year after the divorce. Overall, 1 in 8 employees that were believed to have insufficient support left the workplace within that year, compared to 1 in 20 of those that had significant support.The level of support had an effect of productivity (42% of workers going through divorce without the support reported a drop in productivity, compared to 35% of those that felt supported) and mental health issued (62% vs 58%).

It is evident from my work experience, research, and common sense that an individual's marital relationships can significantly impact their productivity at work. Therefore, as an organization, it is beneficial to invest in supporting employees not only when they are facing difficulties, but also in helping them prevent such challenges from arising in the first place. Providing support for employees to build and maintain good relationships with their partners can lead to a win-win situation for both the employee and the organization. This is an opportunity that Ringi aims to offer.

The role of employer support in improving employee marital relationships: insights from Executive Team Coach

Not only can divorce or relationship breakdown affect work productivity, but work can also contribute to the breakdown of relationships. In the Divorce in the Workplace study, 1 in 9 workers reported that their job played a role in the end of their marriage or partnership.

To support employee well-being, many companies offer incentives and programs that encourage relaxation, provide access to mindfulness tools, and promote overall health and personal well-being. These efforts aim to help employees maintain a healthy work-life balance and reduce stress levels that can negatively impact their relationships at home.

Moreover, maintaining a positive relationship with an employee's family members is important for employers. They can help improve employees' relationships with their family by offering time off for employees to resolve conflicts with their spouses or providing counseling services such as marriage therapy, parenting classes, or family therapy. Employers can also offer other resources that may be helpful in resolving conflicts between spouses.

As an employer or HR professional, it is important to understand that employees' relationships with their family members can significantly impact their workplace productivity. Employer support can also have a positive impact on employees' ability to handle challenges, particularly during difficult economic times. The current economic landscape is harsh, with the potential for economic crisis, ongoing conflicts, high inflation, and energy shortages for those in Europe. Additionally, the pandemic has had a widespread impact on marital relationships, particularly for caregivers such as parents who have had to use up all of their vacation and sick days or leave their jobs to care for their children. In these situations, one partner may be taking on the majority of caregiving responsibilities, while the other may be the sole breadwinner, leading to increased stress and strain on the relationship.

Understanding the potential impact of these factors on employee productivity is important for employers. However, addressing these issues can also provide an opportunity for growth. As mentioned before, companies often provide incentives and programs that encourage relaxation and offer access to mindfulness tools to help employees reduce stress levels that can affect their relationships at home. And Ringi offers employers the opportunity to support their employees by providing the AI solution for maintaining relationships. When employees have fulfilling relationships, they are more likely to thrive and contribute to the success of the organization.

Last words from Ringi

It is important to note that marital relationships have an impact on work productivity. This means that it is essential for employers to invest in workplace policies and practices that support employees' satisfaction, especially when it comes to their marital relationships. For this reason, we are open to work with companies to take care of their employee marital relationships. We offer corporate access to the Ringi app for company members. If you are interested in collaborating with us, you can reach us through our contact emails.

Why not upgrade your relationship with Ringi, an AI app for couples?

Reference: THE 2021 DIVORCE IN THE WORKPLACE UK STUDY / Rayden Solicitors

• Zuzanna Borek


• Collaborating with Ringi.


• Executive Team Coach | Transformation Facilitator | Data Science Consultant | PADI Divemaster & Boulderlover | building strategies that feed on data, benefit the organization, and make people thrive


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