Examining the Effects of Going to Rehab on Your Career
Substance abuse can affect all areas of your life, including work, school, family life, and romantic relationships or friendships. Attending rehab can help you avoid experiencing new or worsened consequences of addiction, including those that might affect your job.
However, many people have concerns about attending addiction treatment and how that might impact their careers.
For example, if you consider yourself a high-functioning alcoholic, you might be able to get through the day at work. You might worry about whether or not you’ll get fired for going to rehab, or you might wonder if taking time off is worthwhile financially.
Addiction can impact anyone from healthcare professionals to first responders and individuals in other lines of work. Some people may feel that their career is more high-stakes than others.
Thankfully, legal protections are in place to make rehab accessible to people like you who share these concerns. So, can your job fire you for seeking treatment? What else should you know?
First, let’s answer the question, “Can my job fire me for going to rehab?” and talk about the legal protections in place that make it possible to seek treatment.
Then, we’ll discuss the impacts of substance abuse in the workplace, preparing for rehab and taking time off of work, the types of addiction treatment programs we offer at Purpose Healing Center, and provide strategies for staying sober after going to rehab.
Can My Job Fire Me for Going to Rehab?
No, your job cannot fire you for going to rehab. Substance use disorders are considered a legal disability. Since past drug abuse counts as a disability by law, there are laws in place that protect your right to seek addiction treatment.
Laws also protect your privacy and allow you to receive addiction treatment without disclosing your diagnosis.
Seeking addiction treatment may actually save your career. It is possible to get fired for drug abuse, and using drugs and alcohol can have severe negative impacts on your occupation. Going to rehab can prevent these consequences. Employers can drug test you at any point in time, so taking the initiative and attending treatment is ideal.
Let’s talk about how United States laws protect your right to receive addiction treatment and how to navigate them.
Know Your Rights and Protections When Seeking Treatment
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the first federal act put in place to address equality for individuals in the workforce with disabilities. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are three laws you might want to know about if you’re considering treatment at a rehab facility.
These laws protect employed individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorders and mental illness in distinct ways. Here’s what you should know.
The Family and Medical Leave Act
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) offers up to three months (12 weeks) of unpaid leave for qualified individuals needing mental health or addiction treatment. You must work for a qualifying employer to qualify for medical leave under the FMLA.
Your employer must have 50 or more employees in a 75-mile radius of the workplace to qualify, and you must have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours over the last calendar year (12 months). If you’re eligible for FMLA leave, your privacy is also protected under the act, which can protect you from workplace discrimination and related concerns.
The Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is a federal law prohibiting discrimination against employees who have disabilities, including substance use disorders and other mental disorders. While this does not mean that active substance misuse is protected or allowed at work, it does mean that you can’t be fired for going to rehab.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 served as a model for the ADA. The ADA protects current and past alcohol use and applies to addiction only if a person is in recovery (seeking or in treatment) and is not currently using illegal drugs.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ensures that your medical records and identifying information are treated with full confidentiality. So, your employer will not have access to documents from or regarding rehab unless you consent to it or want them to have those documents.
Issues Around Substance Abuse in the Workplace
Despite common misconceptions, many people facing substance abuse are employed. Statistics published on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website show that about 70% of adults facing alcohol or drug addiction are employed.
Similarly, substance use disorders affect about 9% of employed adults. Despite this, only 1% of employees seek help per year.
Using substances can impede your ability to focus and complete tasks, which may impact your occupation negatively. Alcohol and drug addiction in the workplace is associated with consequences such as the following.
- Increased healthcare costs, both for individuals and employers.
- Absenteeism and decreased productivity.
- A higher risk of workplace injuries.
Drug and alcohol abuse are costly for both employees and employers. On the other hand, recovery from substance abuse is associated with positive outcomes, such as better work attendance and performance, stable employment, and fewer disciplinary actions.
It’s integral that we reduce the stigma surrounding addiction so that people with a substance use disorder can seek treatment when they need it.
Preparing for Rehab and Work Leave
All types of substance use disorders are serious health conditions that require medical treatment, but stigma can make it difficult to reveal the diagnosis of a substance use disorder (SUD). When you voice your intentions of taking a leave of absence under the FMLA to your employer or the Human Resources (HR) department at work, you are not obliged to disclose your diagnosis or the name of your health condition.
Instead, the first step in taking time off for rehab is telling your employer you need to take a leave from work for a medical reason. You must then submit documentation from a medical professional demonstrating your need to take a leave of absence. The individual to provide this documentation could be a primary care doctor or someone else. Within five days of your leave request, your workplace must notify you of whether or not your request was accepted.
Please give us a call if you’re interested in getting help at our rehab facility and are concerned about your job security. We can help you navigate the conversation with your employer or talk you through the steps you need to take.
There are also different types of drug and alcohol rehab. Some people might take extensive time off for inpatient treatment, but others may choose to work while in treatment. We offer multiple levels of care, allowing people like you to get the kind of treatment they need without sacrificing their work long-term.
The Types of Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Abuse
We offer the following types of substance use treatment programs. If you’re hoping to receive addiction treatment, you may choose from any of the following programs. The right starting level of care (e.g., inpatient vs. outpatient rehab) may depend on multiple factors, such as symptom severity and your ability to take time off.
When you reach out about getting treatment at Purpose Healing Center, we’ll give you an intake assessment and provide a recommendation for your starting level of care based on your needs.
Outpatient Treatment Programs
While you can use FMLA to take time off work for inpatient rehab without losing your job, it may not be the right fit for everyone. Flexible options are available if you’d prefer not to take time off from work for substance abuse treatment.
Outpatient programs allow you to live at home (or in sober living housing) while attending treatment. There are different types of outpatient treatment. The two main types of outpatient programs include:
- Partial hospitalization programs (PHP). Partial hospitalization programs are the most intensive level of outpatient care, typically meeting Monday-Friday. Clients usually take time off of work to participate in PHP because of the time commitment it requires.
- Intensive outpatient programs (IOP). intensive outpatient programs have a lower time commitment than PHP and are ideal for those facing addiction who want to work while in treatment. You’ll still participate in therapy and other activities on-site throughout the week, but for fewer days and fewer total treatment hours per week. If you opt for this level of care at any point in your recovery journey, we’ll collaborate with you and talk through your work schedule.
Some people start out in outpatient treatment. Other people attend inpatient rehab followed by outpatient treatment. This is called a “step-down” approach and can be helpful for aiding the transition from inpatient rehab to daily life. We can help you find a sober living placement if you think you may benefit from supportive housing.
Residential Inpatient Rehab
Residential inpatient rehab removes you from your current daily life patterns and triggers. In inpatient treatment at Purpose Healing Center, you’ll live on-site and follow a full daily schedule of group therapy, individual therapy, family therapy, and other services or treatment activities.
Many clients who take leave for inpatient treatment stay for around 30-90 days, although some benefit from long-term rehab services. Save for cases of court-ordered rehab, the length of your treatment stay is ultimately up to you.
Medical Detox Programs
Many people attend medical detox before in an inpatient or outpatient rehab program. Our treatment facility offers on-site medical detox in addition to inpatient and outpatient treatment.
The goal of medical detox is to help those facing drug and alcohol addiction get through the acute withdrawal process. Usually, medical detox only lasts for about 1-2 weeks.
Strategies for Staying Sober and After Drug Addiction Treatment
Before you graduate from addiction treatment at Purpose Healing Center, we’ll help you make a relapse prevention plan. Your relapse prevention plan may include a range of services and strategies that help you stay sober and manage life after attending rehab.
These may include but aren’t limited to:
- Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Many support groups for addiction, including AA, NA, and SMART Recovery are free.
- Stress management strategies and tools (e.g., boundary setting). These are taught in our programs.
- Continued individual or group therapy. Many people continue mental health therapy following a more thorough addiction treatment program.
- Ongoing medication management. Some people may start medication while in treatment for substance use or dual diagnosis disorders (e.g., anxiety or depression). This may include medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for drug abuse in some instances. Staying on medications or continuing to work with a prescriber can be helpful in this instance.
- Alumni support. We offer free alumni support services for former clients.
It is vital that substance abuse is treated as the serious health condition it is. Everyone’s journey to recovery looks different, and we’re here to help. To help cover treatment costs, we accept most forms of insurance for rehab, which you can verify confidentially by calling our admissions line.
Call Purpose Healing for Effective Recovery Support
Purpose Healing Center considers our clients’ lives, obligations, and experiences throughout the addiction treatment process. We take a whole-person approach to healing and can help you restore your life. We are versed in helping people like you balance work with recovery or return to work following inpatient treatment.
Please call our admissions line to find out more about how our programs can help you or someone you know. Calls to Purpose Healing Center are 100% cost and commitment-free.
FAQs Regarding Keeping Your Job When Going to Rehab
Can you get fired for being in recovery?
No. While you can be fired for poor job performance or being high or drunk at work, you cannot get fired for being in recovery or for attending addiction rehab. This is because substance use disorders are considered protected disabilities under federal law.
Is alcoholism a protected disability?
Yes. Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and other substance use disorders are serious medical conditions, and they are considered protected disabilities under the ADA. The same is true for mental illness.
References
- https://www.eeoc.gov/employment-protections-under-rehabilitation-act-1973-50-years-protecting-americans-disabilities
- https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/hipaa-part-2/index.html
- https://www.usccr.gov/files/pubs/ada/ch4.htm
- https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2022/11/30/workplace-supported-recovery/
- https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/legacy/files/employeeguide.pdf
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