Do I tell my boss about me being a recovering addict?

April 6, 2010 admin 4 comments

So, I just got out of rehab and then a halfway house (total of 8 months) and am living back with my uncle in a new town. Like the title says, I’m a recovering addict (world of warcraft if you can believe that). Got a new job a little bit ago and I like…really don’t like keeping secrets from people. I feel like all the managers at my store like me and everyones chill with me, nobody is really questioning my story that I just moved into town and all that (which is semi-true anyway). So there isn’t really any pressure on me to tell the truth, I just want to tell my bosses the truth because I know from experience with new friends I’ve made it’s just easier that way. Problem is, I don’t know really how to do that and WHEN to do that. Any suggestions? Please bear in mind I do want to come clean about my history sometime, in my mind it’s just a question of when and how.

Clicking advertisements helps keep this site running. thank you!

CONFIDENTIAL DRUG REHABILITATION about, addict, being, boss, recovering, tell

Comments

Written by AngelKatt about 2 years ago.

No. It’s your personal life and your boss doesn’t really want to know about your personal life-no matter what you have an addiction to.

It has nothing…absolutely nothing to do with your job; which is all your boss and your co-workers care about and all they should care about.

Your personal demons are nobody’s business. Don’t sh*t where you eat, as they say. Guard your privacy. You won’t regret it in the long run.

There are things in life called boundaries. Learn to set them and not cross them, appropriately. I know from experience, boundaries are a tough area for addicts. They tend to be all or nothing people. So, keep this in mind.

Non-addicts are NOT all or nothing, black and white type of people. They don’t feel the need to tell people everything about themselves. Something to consider. I know I sound really tough, here, but, sometimes it takes a strong voice to get a point across. I have some experience in this area. Don’t take it personally.

Good luck in your new job and in your recovery.
Written by Logan S about 2 years ago.

well I would say the easiest way to tell the people you work with would be an after hours hang out, chill time. Like if you went out with some coworkers and or bosses to get some drinks or watch some sporting event at a bar or something. Then it should be easier to come clean and then may be more prone to listen and not judge, being that it is a less formal and more relaxing environment.
Written by jandy about 2 years ago.

No, this could affect benefits down the road, and performance evaluations. You are not obligated to tell your boss anything about your medical condition, in fact, HR discourages it and it could affect healthcare insurance benefits. some recovering addict programs fall under mental health records. You don’t have to tell everyone your business and no one wants to hear about it anyway, you talked about it in the recovery phase, you’ve moved on, leave it in the past. What’s to come clean about? You live with your self, you don’t have to explain to the whole world, not everything is public. come on, get real, You’ll know who your friends are when you get in trouble again ,will they be there for you? Lots of people are nosy about the new person and some are plain evil and will use it as leverage, blackmail. So, keep your mouth shut. It’s done and over with… The only legal reason to tell your boss is if you require ADA , disability accomodations/ Your med record is private and that’s your responsibility, too. If they denied you a job because of your med hx, then you have a legal issue. Got it?
Written by magpie_complex about 2 years ago.

There’s no need for this personal information to be shared.You sound like you’re on friendly terms with your coworkers and that’s great. However, being friendly with people you work with isn’t the same as being friends. If you developed close friendships with some of these people that extend outside of the workplace, then eventually you could consider telling those people.

If you do eventually share it, please realize that once it gets around in your work, that the word ‘addict’ will conjure up many unpleasant associations in people’s minds that will be difficult for them to ever completely put aside. It would be better if you just left it in the past.

Comment Pages:

Confidential Drug Rehabilitation

Do I tell my boss about me being a recovering addict?

Comments

Most Popular Posts

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Tags

BEST Drug Rehab