Going To Rehab When You Work For Verizon
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Once you realize and admit that you have a problem with alcohol and substance abuse, it may be difficult to come up with a plan to get better. Confusion and fear may keep you from seeking the help you need.
Knowing the stepping stones to recovery will provide peace of mind once you decide this is what you need. If you work for Verizon, making sure your employers are informed about your condition and knowing what resources are at hand will provide comfort when starting or continuing on the path to recovery.
Ask for Help Before You're Asked to Leave
If you work at Verizon, whether your alcohol or substance abuse happens off-site or during working hours, your Verizon manager may notice a change in your work performance. Your Verizon manager or HR department may notice such things as:
- Showing up late or leaving early
- Taking too much time off
- Making a lot of mistakes
- Causing unsafe conditions for other workers
- Working slowly or not at all
- Arguing with coworkers, managers, or customers
That’s why it’s important when you accept and admit your alcohol and substance abuse that you talk to your manager or HR department about it before they take corrective action. Just because Verizon employs over 130,000 workers in more than 150 locations globally, does not mean that they cannot handle your situation with compassion if you are one of those workers.
Verizon Employee Assistance
Once you talk to your manager or HR department about your alcohol and substance abuse and join or continue a rehab program, you are now covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Verizon can also provide you with reasonable assistance to aid in the recovery process in the form of flexible work hours or a leave of absence.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
According to the US Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR), alcohol abusers and illegal drug users who have the protection of the ADA are individuals:
- Who has gone through the rehab process and are recovering alcoholics or are no longer using illegal drugs
- Who are alcoholics or illegal drug users currently in a rehab program and are no longer using
Being covered under this act does not free you from having corrective action taken against you. It simply means that corrective measures, for your actions that went against company policy, cannot be more severe than someone else who does not abuse alcohol or substance abuse.
For example, if you are guilty of taking too much time off, then the corrective steps should be the same as everyone else. If other employees, who do not abuse alcohol or drugs, took too much time off and are not fired, you should not be either because it’s discovered that you are an alcoholic or a drug user.
However, the coverage of the ADA does not save you from punishment. Employers can still fire you for alcohol or drug use or being under the influence while working if that is their policy. This is because unsafe conditions and accidents can happen, causing harm to others. That’s why it’s important to talk to your manager or HR department first before corrective action is taken.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
The ADA demands to provide reasonable assistance to employees with disabilities. In this case, an employee with an alcohol or drug addiction might be provided an alternate work schedule to be able to attend Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
Another kind of assistance offered to an employee with this kind of condition is to take a leave of absence for treatment. The FMLA allows an employee, with a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the important functions of his or her job, to be able to take twelve workweeks of leave in 12 months.
The leave period is unpaid, but comes with access to the group health insurance coverage as if you were still working. This is important for drug rehab and treatment costs.
Verizon Encourages Wellness
Verizon offers a lot of benefits to its employees to ensure their well-being. In addition to its Employee Assistance Program and helping employees with mental health issues, financial challenges, and stress management, they also help employees gain access to substance abuse treatment.
Talking to your employer at Verizon will make them aware of your situation. Working together, you will get the help you need before corrective measures are taken.
Verizon Uses of Drug Testing
At Verizon, many employees work in jobs that could create a dangerous work environment if they do their jobs under the influence. For this reason, Verizon may perform drug testing on an employee who is suspected of illegal drug use and is working in a job that is at risk of creating unsafe conditions for themselves or others. Other circumstances that may provoke a drug test are:
- When workers have been involved in an accident, either in the workplace or on the road
- For employees who are presently in or have finished a drug rehab program
Chances are you were required to read and sign an acknowledgment of the Verizon drug and alcohol policy and drug testing policy. So you will know what corrective steps will be taken depending on the drug use situation. You will also know when and how a drug test will be given if one is necessary.
If your employer suspects you of being under the influence of illegal drugs while working and asks for you to submit a drug test, you can refuse, but you may be fired if they had good reason to ask for it.
Get Help Today
Getting fired from your job will only make your substance abuse problem worse. It will cut you off from access to resources, such as flexible work time and continued access to medical care, which could help you recover and live a successful life. So talk to your Verizon employer and then contact us at Finish Line Recovery to help you now.