It appears that the global economic battering we've had has taken a toll on domestic relations. The stress of keeping a business going and being able to balance the books has kept many a boss up at night as they take the strain of work home with them.

A divorce lawyer recently commented that she has seen an increase in divorce cases handled by her firm over the past two years. In most cases, clients have alleged that their bosses were not sympathetic to their domestic situations; for example, not letting them get time off to attend legal meetings, or to have more flexible work arrangements centering around child care. But on the other hand, some workers use their marital woes as an excuse for not pulling their weight at the office.

On the bosses' end, their defence is that, when workers are not fully present that puts a strain on other workers to do the extra work to cover absences. The pressure is greatest on small and medium-sized business that don't have in-house human resources staff to give advice.

Some managers have not been following the rules regarding their need to support their staff. But by supporting their staff, managers will find that workers will be eager to show their commitment since they got support in their time of need. A strong relationship between employer and employee is equivalent to a marriage made in heaven.

Have you had incidences of marital strife in the workplace? How do you handle it? Do share your thoughts.