Fried

hi

i am new to recovery and i am currently in my second week of sobriety.

Trouble is, is that i work for a wine company and am a sales rep out on the road selling wines everyday.

my work has really suffered in the last few months and it was noticed by my bosses but not noticed as alcoholism.

i have contacted HR and am going through the EAP program and first appointment is tomorrow.

my question is, do i tell my sales manager that i have a problem with alcohol? he has been very supportive lately and i feel like he really wants me to succeed.
i dont know what to tell him when i get around to resigning? do i lie and create a reason for quitting or tell him the truth?

any advise is welcome!!!

Altoids

I don't see a need to divulge the reason you are leaving other than to say that you've accepted a new position. Don't lie, but you don't need to air everything to your boss. Keeping your recovery out of your professional life is a wise thing. Not everyone understands recovery. You'll know who to tell and when. For me, I don't bring it up.

Like I said, not everyone understands. My husband told my boss, and from then on NOTHING was the same at work. I hadn't changed at all, but my boss became a suspicious, nit-picking person to the point that people started asking what the heck was going on. Being that I needed his reference to move forward, it made life very hard professionally.

OklaBH

no, dont tell him. you will need him as a reference later on. there is a huge stigma with alcoholism. I thought i was being smart once by being honest...NOPE I wasn't

good job on getting sober

Altoids

Oh, when I finally left that job, I said that the I wanted to change the focus of my life and didn't feel I could perform my job with the excellence it required. I also offered to stay until they were able to move my responsibilities to other team members which took about 3 months.

Altoids

this!!!

herradura

I never once shared a glass with a wine rep or a beer rep. You can crack the bottle for them and you don't have to drink it. Most people in the liquor business have a drinking problem, especially beer distributors. As a former Boss, don't tell your boss you are an Alcoholic, they seldom understand and it can be used against you. Legally it cant be used against you unless it causes performance issues, but your boss and others will always know and it will harm your advancement, not nice, but true. Good luck.

Mountainmanbob

Best not to make any decisions until you lay it all on the table with EAP
They are always suppose to have our best interest at hand
I would leave (all matters) up to them (for now)

Note - (I have known many) usually these ones who work in the EAP Departments like to be a little controlling (may are recovered drunks and addicts) -- let them have their way with you and pray for the best results.

Once we go to EAP we need to do all that they recommend. Other wise we went against the recommended Program and may suffer the consequences.

MM

Soberwolf

I wouldnt tell my boss

Anna

I would never say anything at my job about alcoholism.

There is too much stigma and people don't understand.

You could find fingers being pointed at you afterwards for things that had nothing to do with alcoholism.

Fried

thank you all for your advise, it has been very helpful and helped me to be another day without a drink!!

clayton621

told my boss when i got sober, and explained how much i had been struggling with alcohol, he said i really wish you would've told me sooner, why didnt you. I said because i didnt trust that you would keep my secret between us... 3 days later the whole office knew. Dont tell him.