.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} When things are going well, we take everything for granted. But as soon as adversity springs up in our life, we suddenly realize how great the little things truly are – the delicate scent of a bouquet of flowers, the purity of the blue sky and the brilliance of the sun. It is then we realize our life at this point does not measure up to the rediscovered life around us. Most of this is human nature. Our emotions ebb and flow based on our circumstances.

When adversity strikes our lives, there is a natural cause and effect that also takes place in the work environment. It tends to go one of two ways.

Sometimes we completely envelop ourselves in work to avoid focusing on the issues at hand. Or we become withdrawn and disengage from work either partially or altogether. Neither of these alternatives is healthy, nor do they get to the root cause and fix whatever has gone awry.

Overcoming adversity is important in order to maintain your job. If your work is slipping and you do not speak to your supervisor about the issues and challenges that are causing it, shame on you. Employers are typically much more lenient when they know this is an anomaly that will pass. You need to communicate the issue and how you see yourself getting past it. Limit the details to what is appropriate for your work environment and what you feel comfortable sharing.

The other thing to think about is whether your employer offers an Employee Assistance Program, better known as an EAP. An EAP has trained counselors and staff to help you navigate through your problems. A good EAP will provide a 24/7 hotline and help people cope with a variety of problems from divorce to finances.

According to a Mercer study, 76 percent of employers offer some type of EAP. The downside is that only 15 percent of employees take advantage of the program. The biggest reason for this lack of usage is that companies do not promote the EAP and the employees quickly forget about the option.

I once had a stellar employee whose productivity had fallen off tremendously for almost two months. I had met with him many times asking if anything was wrong or if there was something keeping him from staying on top of his work. He repeatedly said everything was fine. I had decided to let him go. It wasn’t until I was firing him that he told me about his situation and why he wasn’t performing well. I did not fire him. Instead I gave him two weeks to get back on track. Had he said something sooner, it never would have gotten to that point.

If your company does not offer an EAP, suggest it to your human resources department. The cost is very nominal for the benefits it can provide. Life and work intersect more than we like them to while we deal with the curveballs life throws our way. But with a mental strategy of how to handle problems, you can get through them quicker while protecting your job.

There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and yes, sometimes that light is a train, but 99.9 percent of the time it is a new day. r

Nick Reddin is the business development manager at Manpower Inc.’s Des Moines office.