Realizing that you need treatment may be far easier for many people than telling others about your condition. This is especially true of employers of whom you must ask time off from work to attend rehabilitation. Bringing up the subject alone with your boss can fill you with trepidation. It is not surprising that so many people delay telling their employers for fear of being fired or disqualified from the job in which they serve.

However, most employers will understand your situation and help in arranging the time off needed for you to get better. A good employee is a valuable commodity, well worth making sacrifices to keep and to help them get better. Instead of going over the worst-case scenarios, it is far better to focus on the positive. If you are still struggling with the decision to tell your employer, keep the following in mind.

Recovery Benefits Your Place of Work

It may seem counterintuitive at first, but the wellbeing of employees is a paramount concern to employers. They understand that your health and wellbeing is vital to their workplace, even if you have to take time off to recover from an addiction. You’ll find that many employers will willingly help to ensure that you recover and get better as this not only helps you, but they get a valued, healthy employee upon your return. With this in mind most reputable employers make it easy to get time off work for rehab.

Employer Rules & Regulations Allow you to Get Time Off Work for Rehab

A series of laws has been passed over the past couple of decades that have garnered new rights for employees. This means that your job may be protected by law if you have to attend rehabilitation to recover from an addiction. This includes both federal and state law that covers what employers can and cannot do. Put simply, you are in a strong position if you need to take time off from your job to attend rehabilitation.

Fading Stigma

It was not long ago that an addiction carried with it a public stigma so strong that many people stayed quiet and allowed their addiction to get worse. Today, the stigma is still present, but not nearly as bad as it once was. What others thinks carries less importance compared to your health and wellbeing¹1.J.-M. Figueredo, C. García-Ael, A. Gragnano and G. Topa, Well-Being at Work after Return to Work (RTW): A Systematic Review – PMC, PubMed Central (PMC).; Retrieved October 8, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7602369/. Even the best people slip, which means that you should not let it stop you from getting help sooner rather than later.

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

This is a federal law that provides protection from getting fired if you have to attend rehabilitation. If you have worked for the same company for 12 months, the business has more than 50 employees, or you work for a government or non-profit agency, then you are most likely covered under FMLA. You should check first with an attorney who specializes in such laws to ensure that you are protected.

You will need to follow all rules and regulations under the law, which is often carried out by the HR department of the company where you work. If you are fired, then you can sue the employer under FMLA.

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