You are living a double life. You try to keep up with your work and maintain your relationships with friends and family. However, there’s a bug that keeps dragging you behind; alcohol. Before you know it, you have developed some dependency on the alcohol to keep you going through the day. You aren’t alone. Many people struggle with alcoholism while still working. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to keep up for too long. The majority of employed people suffering from alcoholism are reluctant about getting professional help for fear of losing their jobs. So, here are some facts to help you make a decision.
Know your rights
Unknown to the majority of professionals, the law protects you from getting fired if your employer finds out that you have an alcoholism problem. Alcoholism is categorized under disabilities according to the law. However, you have to check-in at the drug rehab for professional help for the law to protect you. Should your employer take disciplinary actions for poor performance because of your addiction to alcohol while you haven’t enrolled in an addiction treatment program, the law cannot protect you. The act will protect your job if you have gone to rehab, you are not actively drinking alcohol, and you are already recovering from the addiction.
Will your employer excuse you while getting treated?
Since addiction treatment can be taxing, and it isn’t an overnight task, your employer is expected to excuse you from your duties as you gain treatment. Withdrawal symptoms, for example, range from mild to severe and may deter the full functionality of a patient. Talk to your employer to allow you to take a leave of absence as you focus on getting better. You may also negotiate on your duties such as change of work schedules to allow you to attend to your treatment sessions faithfully.
Why you shouldn’t wait
As earlier mentioned, many professionals will stick to their alcohol addiction habits for fear of losing their jobs. Alcohol impairs your judgement and decision making and could lead to low performance, getting late and strained relations with workmates. You are a great risk of getting fired if you do not seek addiction treatment.
If you notice that you are developing some sort of dependency on alcohol, admit yourself to a treatment program to secure your position. Reach us today on our helpline at 833-610-1174 to talk to our specialists and let us get you back on track.