Are you in need of an addiction treatment center? Do you have a job? If so, you may have been wondering what to do, finding that you sit around pondering the consequences of your request. When it comes to worrying in regards to treatment, never this more of a personal battle than you needed it off for something that unfortunately comes with a rather large stigma.
The first thing you need to remember is that it matters not what kind of treatment you need time off for. You should never delay the treatment and understand that your health, whether physical or mental, takes priority above everything else.
It may be a scary thing for you to address. When it comes to any treatment, especially treatment for addiction, or detox, this is going to be the first step you need to take in order to get to where you need to be.
Protecting Your Job When You’re Recovering From Addiction
Apart from being judged, we understand that the biggest worry you will have is whether it will affect your job or not. Well, the truth is, addiction treatment is like any other treatment, and it shouldn’t put your job security at risk.
The first place you should be looking at starting is with the human resources department. Your employer may also have an employee policy or staff handbook, these can be invaluable to you while trying to find out your rights as an employee.
If the company that you work for isn’t large enough for an HR department, then your obvious step would be to approach your boss directly. If your company is quite small and personal, this is going to seem like quite a feat to accomplish. However, trust us when we say, the sooner you talk to them, the better.
If possible, you should attempt to be as open and honest as possible when it comes to talking to your boss. If this is something you do not feel you are able to do, then you aren’t legally obliged to disclose anything you do not want to.
Saying that you will often find that the more open you are, the more help and support you will get. Being open with an employer is especially helpful should you need to undertake a residential rehab center.
Centers like this can sometimes house you for up to a year, sometimes longer, and should you not have opened up to your boss, in the beginning, it can be quite tough to explain away a year’s absence.
You Are Entitled To Quality Treatment For Addiction Struggles
The truth is that when it comes to time off work for addiction treatment, you are as entitled as any person is to any other form of treatment. The world has come a long way when it comes to understanding substance abuse, and it’s now, in many cases, classified as an illness or disease.
Understanding should also help you know that you are entitled to the time off. While some people may still see a stigma attached to addiction treatment, this is something that won’t affect your time off entitlement.
If you are struggling with this decision and need help, please contact us at the Robert Alexander Center. We are here to help.
