If you are currently navigating a divorce on Long Island, NY you might be wondering how much your workplace needs to know. After all, your personal business is your business, and should be none of your employer’s concern – right?

That is true to a point, but there are some considerations that your job might need to know about. Issues such as legally changing your name, updating your health insurance and potential workplace discrimination are just a few issues that will require you to divulge your divorce status to your employer. This article will cover when (and if) you should update your employer’s Human Resources (HR) department about your divorce.

Human Resources Issues After Divorce on Long Island, NY

While you do not need to share every detail of your divorce with your employer, there are a few items that the company’s human resources department will need to know about.

First and foremost, it is important to update your workplace if you legally change your name after a divorce. In New York, you cannot complete this change until after the divorce is finalized, so while some women choose to use their maiden names unofficially during the separation process, your employer will not be able to officially process this update until the divorce is fully complete.

There are a couple of other important matters that your workplace should know about. Here is a list of questions you should ask yourself to find out if you need to talk to your organization’s HR department:

• Have you legally changed your last name?
• Have you lost health insurance due to the divorce? If you were previously covered under your spouse’s plan, you may now need to get coverage through your own company’s plan.
• Do you need to change your tax status? If you need to adjust your tax filing status – for example, from “married filing jointly” to “single” – you will need to make edits to the forms on file with your employer.
• Have you moved? If you have moved due to the divorce, you will want to update your address with your employer so they have the right location on record.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it is important to talk to your company’s human resources department. They will be able to help you ensure all of your information is up-to-date in their system.

 

Attendance and Performance in the Workplace After a Long Island, New York Divorce

Navigating a divorce may mean that you need to take time off work for meetings with attorneys, court dates, or appointments with a mediator. If you have children, you may have to make adjustments to your work schedule as you adjust to new childcare responsibilities. Further, if your divorce has been especially caustic, you may find that your emotions are interfering with your typical quality of work.

While you are not legally required to inform your workplace of your divorce, having an open conversation with your boss can sometimes help in these scenarios. If your employer knows that you are dealing with challenges at home, they may be more receptive and understanding about you taking time off and temporarily struggling with productivity.

 

Workplace Discrimination Because of Marital Status in NY

Are you worried that you will be treated differently at work because of your change in marital status? While there are no federal laws that directly protect against discrimination as a result of marital status, many states – including New York – have laws that protect against discrimination based on these criteria.

New York human rights laws include marital status as a prohibited category when it comes to discrimination – and it is an unlawful discriminatory practice to be treated differently at work due to your marital status. If you are concerned about discrimination at work due to this change, it is crucial to get in touch with a knowledgeable lawyer right away.

 

Contact Trusted Divorce Lawyers at Hornberger Verbitsky, P.C. to Protect Yourself

At Hornberger Verbitsky, P.C., we understand that a divorce can be disruptive to your life and work. That’s why we do our best to take stress out of the equation so that you can focus on what is really important.

Contact us to learn more about your legal options or to book your free initial consultation to discuss your case in detail. Call now at 631-923-1910 or complete our short contact form and we’ll get in touch with you to schedule an appointment convenient to you.