drug/alcohol rehab and employment

[Tiggeroo]

my bil has alcohol and drug issues. He finally seems like he's ready to get help. He is a union employee with some coverage for this. He thinks he'll use his job and have no income. If you work for a large employer do you have protection while you go into rehab? Is it possible you can collect disability?

 

[Normangirls]

COMPLETELY depending on the details of the situation, he may have FMLA or ADA protection (primarily for the alcoholism).

He will probably only have job protection -- he may or may not have paid time off (per company policy or union contract), and his treatment may or may not be paid (per his medical insurance policy).

He should talk to his Human Resources rep as soon as possible.

And keep in mind -- while it is great that he is getting help, his employer has a business to run and is only obligated to him to a certain extent.

Good luck to him!

 

[Tiggeroo]

my bil is an absolute mess. We have very little contact with him. But if something were to happen to him and we didn't at least try I'd feel bad.

 

[aprilgail2]

We use our sick time when we are in rehab at our jobs but the rehab (live in) is covered 100 percent, no out of pocket for that-and they send you to a pretty nice place as far as rehab centers go. You are gaurenteed your job when you come out the only thing is that you will be on random drug testing there the rest of your time with the company once you go to rehab- not a bad thing, just keeps you having to answer and keep clean!

 

[kidzmom3]

if they are a larger employer, he would be entitled to the time off through fmla. However, this does not mean that when he gets back, they might try to get rid of him. It can be a small world in some businesses and word gets around.

 

[barkley]

depending on his employer they may have an "employee assistance" division in their h/r bureau. these programs can have staff that deals specificaly with these types of issues.

as for disability benefits (while he's off), if he's living in a state with state dib you could look on that state's dib website and probably see if rehab is a coverable situation wherein he would have eligibility.

 

[minkydog]

It depends. Many employers will work with you if you seek treatment proactively, before they have to mandate treatment. If he has short-term disability he can probably file for that. The way mine works is I had to exhaust my vacation and sick leave fist, then the disability kicked in. If he works for a large company he probably is eligible for FMLA which will protect his job for 12 weeks. It's a rare employer that would seek to terminate during this period due to the liklihood of litigation (it is taboo to fire someone who is on medical leave, which is what rehab is).

Best of luck. I went into rehab for severe depression back in February. I was hospitalized for 7 weeks. There were many MANY people in for substance abuse. My hospital will advocate with your job as long as you are maintaining treatment and you don't relapse. I am in a therapy group with all nurses. Some of them were mandated into treatment for being high or drunk on the job or for diverting drugs(into their pockets.) Some of them have been able to go back to their place of employment, although they are not allowed to give, handle or be around drugs. Some of them, mostly those who encountered an intervention at work, lost their jobs and have been able to find new jobs. One of the commandments is that they must reveal their status as a recovering addict to any potential employer. It's surprising how many employers will work with you. They really like it when they find out that you sought treatment on your own, rather than being forced into it.

Please be patient with your loved one. Rehab is incredibly hard and there is a high likelihood of relapse. Most people have to relapse 5-6 times before they finally get clean. That can be very frustrating for the families. If you're not an addict yourself it's very hard to comprehend how hard it is to quit. Addiction is a disease not a character flaw. Best of luck to all of you.