4thdimension86

I am new here and I am not sure of where I should have posted this type of thing. Anyway I have about 17 months of sobriety and I am trying to move on in life. I spent some time in a recovery house about three hours from where I lived. I came back to the area and managed to get my old job back. I explained to my old supervisor that I left the first time because of my addiction but had completed treatment and had over a year of sobriety under my belt. I had worked at this place for three years and was told i could come back after leaving. After coming back I was fired after three weeks with no real good reason as to why. I feel as though there was some prejudice against me because it was known that I am a recovering addict. Can others share their experience with me about employers and recovery. I have heard some good things from people about how they were honest about it and were respected for being in recovery but I feel that a lot of people view recovering addicts as "damaged goods." I am unsure of how to handle job interviews because my past needs to be explained and I don't want to be dishonest. I have since started applying at treatment centers where I feel as though my past will be viewed as experience rather than a flaw. Maybe god is just pushing me in a different direction?

jaynie04

Hi 4th and welcome. I have not any personal experience with this but I have seen it discussed here recently. I am sure others will be along. If you google FMLA, it will give you the stipulations of this federal act passed in 1993. I am not an HR person I just remember I saw a thread here about it recently. I believe it depends on what type of employment you had, length of employment, whether it was a salaried position, etc.

I think the idea of looking for work in a treatment facility is wonderful. I know most of the staff at the facility I was in this summer were in recovery, and I couldn't imagine a finer group of people to work with!

deeker

I think God is also opening a new door for you. We are all on a spiritual journey and maybe there was nothing more for you to learn there. You will be ok! U r doing amazing! Very inspired by you.

4thdimension86

Well, on a brighter note I should be returning to the university that I got kicked out of. That has gone well. They were understanding and glad that I came back sober. I may volunteer in the school's drug and alcohol center as part on an amends. I have gotten a lot of support from the staff there. I have 3/4 of a bachelor's degree and really want to finish it.

Whiterhino24

I went off the deep end called in sick friday monday tuesday because I couldn't stop drinking. I left my boss on tuesday night saying I have a problem and I am going to start seeking help and needed some time off. I got a text from him the next day saying I was fired and if I couldn't manage my own life how could I manage his projects. My counselor says I should sue him but I dont know if I could do it.

ZoomZoom8

When one door closes, another one opens...

I agree with jaynie! Maybe this is the path you're supposed to go on!

Good luck to you!

Anna

Personally, I would never, ever tell a co-worker or employer that I was an alcoholic.

There is far too much prejudice and others don't understand. I don't believe anything good could ever come of sharing that information in the work-place.

Br00ksie

Anonymity was actually a topic in the AA meeting I went to tonight! It's a tough topic to navigate. Truthfully you have to use your discretion, but I will say I have found that non-addicts have a hard time relating to/understanding addiction and recovery.

After telling everyone and their mom that I was in AA at first and getting responses like "you're not gonna start on that 12-step sh**, are you?" I realize that my sobriety/recovery is mine and my sponsors business, and it ends there. That being said, I still share with others, but I am much more judicious about WHO.

I understand feeling the need to be honest, but there is a difference between honesty and full disclosure. For example, If someone were to ask me how my day was going today, I could say "I'm not feeling 100% today'" or I could say "god I'm feeling hormonal and emotional and am obsessing about booze for the first time in two weeks!" The latter is a bit more than someone needs to know.

I do not think that it is a good idea to share with potential/current employers OR co-workers, simply because it is not their business. Unless they ask you directly if you have a drug/alcohol problem or if you have been to rehab, you don't HAVE to disclose that info. A more appropriate/equally honest response is that you have taken some personal time to deal with personal/family issues.

Just my perspective based on my personal experiences!

Br00ksie

I agree with your counselor! Firing you for that reason is ILLEGAL. If you have documentation then you have a case and can be compensated for your bosses douchebaggery. I'm not going to lie and say hat it is an easy process. On the contrary, is a long process, but it can result in compensation or reinstatement and might prevent your boss from doing the same thing to someone else.

Joe Nerv

Have to disagree here. If he was in treatment, it might be different. He took 3 days off, said it was because of a drinking problem, and said he needed additional time off because he was planning to seek help. If I had an employee that did and told me that, I'd let him go too. And I'd talk to him again and reconsider only after I knew he actually got the treatment, and put together a little sober time. Alcoholics make promises to get halp regularly. I think the poster would do better to actually get help, and be more concerned with getting and staying sober, than on fighting an ex employer in a case he'll most likely lose.

As for the mentioning I'm an alcoholic to an employer, I'm with Anna on that one. Not a chance of that ever happening, unless it was a job in the field of recovery.

Br00ksie

I don't want to start a tangent post on here, but I had to respond to this.

I'm ALL for justice, particularly when it comes to employment discrimination, so pardon my cavalier response! So many companies take advantage of their employees' ignorance of the law and prey on/take advantage of them. It happens ALL THE TIME.

That being said, litigation can be expensive, frustrating and exhausting (and please believe employers COUNT on those facts hoping they will deter employees from taking legal action)! If a person is having a trouble with their sobriety, a law suit would definitely exacerbate that trouble, in which case it might not be worth going the legal route.

Whether or not a person decides to pursue legal action, they should still know their rights. It is ILLEGAL to fire someone because of a disability, and alcoholism is technically a disability. It is complicated and proof that the alcoholism has become debilitating in a person's life is required, but it is still illegal- particularly if one is fired from a federally funded institution.

Joe Nerv

Just researched it a bit and see that yes, it seems his employer must allow him to seek treatment. So it might actually be worth persuing that. As fer other compensation... I'm gonna guess it would depend on the details, and the lawyer. I still don't think a boss is out of line or ethically wrong for firing someone if their addiction is getting in the way of their performance. Disease definition or not.

Here's a little extra info for anyone interested:

Can Your Employer Fire You For Alcoholism? | Legal News | Lawyers.com

Alcoholism In The Workplace: A Handbook for Supervisors

I'm sure there's tons more to be found.

Br00ksie

To clarify, by compensation I meant lost wages (i.e. Back pay for the time you lost in litigation), pain and suffering (i.e. Having to pay for rehab, hospital bills, or a therapist because being fired sent you over the edge) and/or legal fees (because you had to hire a lawyer), not free money.

Whiterhino24

to explain a little more, I have never had any work performance issues and actually grew the company in to a profitable business. Before I took the job I had just completed outpatient treatment and was able to control my drinking. Then the demon took over one weekend and I couldn't stop so I needed detox and when I told him that I was fired. He had no previous knowledge that I have had issues with alcohol.