Trying to take time off of work is hard enough when you’re just dealing with a short illness, such as a cold. You might naturally feel concerned about trying to ask your manager for the ability to take a longer period of time off of work to go to rehab, and you might be wondering if you should even tell them the reason. Many people worry about feeling stigmatized at work after revealing that they need to seek treatment for addiction. However, there are specific protections in place that will help you keep your job and make taking time off more financially affordable. Knowing how to request time off work to go to rehab can help you find ways that you might not have thought of up to this point.
The most important thing that you’ll need to know if you are feeling worried about repercussions for your job is that addiction is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act. As long as you are no longer using substances and are undergoing treatment, your employer cannot discriminate you based upon your addiction. Instead, they must treat it like any other health condition while you work on your recovery and beyond. In addition to feeling safer about your diagnosis, you can then take these steps to start figuring out how you’ll ask your employer to cover your stay.
- Find out if you’re covered under the Family Medical Care Leave Act
- Ask if your employer has an Employee Assistance Program
- Consider taking paid time off from work
- Check with your health insurance company to find out what types of care are covered
Find Greater Success at Work By Getting Sober
The Family Medical Care Leave Act offers further protection from job loss by directing your employer to provide you with up to 12 weeks of job-protected unpaid leave a year for specific reasons which include addiction treatment. There are some conditions that you need to meet to be eligible for coverage under the FMLA, such as having worked for your employer for at least a year. Checking into your eligibility can help you feel more secure about being able to keep your job.
Your next step is to think about how you’ll manage your stay financially. Some employers offer assistance to their employees, and you might be eligible for employee benefits that included paid time off from work. If you are unable to take paid time off, then you might be able to take an unpaid leave for the primary portion of your treatment. Many health insurance companies offer to cover a combination of inpatient and outpatient care. This could help you take less time off from work while still receiving a high level of addiction treatment support.
Once you know how and when you’ll want to take time off for treatment, your next step is to inform your employer. The majority of companies have an outlined procedure that you’ll need to use to request your time off. Since addiction treatment takes longer than sitting out a few days for a cold, you may need to provide written documentation of your request. Making sure to follow each step properly helps you to be certain that your request will be granted and that you’ll have the legal and health coverage that you are eligible to use.
Although it can be stressful asking for time off, you can feel better knowing that you are about to make one of the biggest moves you can for furthering your career. If you’ve somehow been holding steady or making strides at work while dealing with an addiction, you’ll find that you do even better once you get sober. Quitting drugs and alcohol makes it easier to think more clearly at work and increase your productivity so that you can look forward to earning that next promotion or raise.
Are you wondering what else you need to tell your employer to take time off for addiction treatment? We’ll help you make sure you make your request right. Give us a call today at 833-610-1174.