Your recovery from a behavioral health condition is not something you need to view with shame. It is, however, a personal journey, and you are not required to share it with anyone. You are allowed to decide that your story is not your boss’s business or that they have not been the sort of boss that seems trustworthy with the information about your journey. There may be reasons, however, why it might make sense to talk to your boss about your mental health or substance use disorder.
At Cottonwood, in Tucson, Arizona, we think it’s important for our clients to consider the pros and cons of whatever decision they make regarding disclosing their recovery.
Accessing Leave Time
There is a federal law called the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that you may be eligible to utilize, so that you can attend treatment. This act applies to people who:
- Work at a facility with 50 or more employees within 75 miles
- Have been with their employer for at least 12 months (the months do not have to be consecutive)
- Worked at least 1250 hours during the 12 months before taking leave
- Have a qualifying, serious, chronic health condition – you are not technically required to tell your boss what your condition is, but your employer needs to be able to verify that your condition qualifies for FMLA, so you may end up needing to give them some information.
In addition to FMLA, your employer may have additional leave options or counseling benefits that you can use. Being open about what is going on may help your boss or HR staff to connect you with this extra support.
Explaining Declining Performance
If your work has been slipping, due to a mental health disorder or addiction, your boss might or might not know why they are seeing:
- Increased absenteeism or tardiness
- Missed deadlines
- Careless mistakes
- Changes in attitude
- Working under the influence of substances
Without you being upfront, they could assume the worst. Sharing how much you like your job, how important it is to you, and how much you want to get better, so that you can return to being the employee you once were, may increase the chances of obtaining your employer’s support and keeping your job. If your boss already knows the signs of a behavioral health disorder (if they have been a supervisor for very long, you might not be their first employee who has had this issue), then you won’t be telling them anything they don’t already know, except that you’re ready and willing to recover.
How to Tell Your Boss
If you decide to tell your boss about your behavioral health disorder:
- Schedule 30 minutes to talk about it in person
- Choose an off-site location if you are worried about privacy
- Only share what you are ready to share
- Talk about why you want to enter treatment and how it will make you a better worker
- Be careful about admitting to any wrongdoing that has occurred at work
- Include HR and/or a union rep, if possible
What to Do If You Think Your Employee Is Struggling With Addiction
If you are concerned that one of your employees could be struggling with mental health or substance use issues, you might consider the following steps:
- Take them off tasks that could put their safety at risk if they are not operating with a clear head.
- Identify what signs you see that they could be misusing substances or struggling with their mental health.
- Familiarize yourself with familiar laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), FMLA, and also your company’s policies around addressing behavioral health concerns.
- Ask your employee about what you see. Without making any accusations, mention the things you see that are causing you to be concerned and listen to what they are willing to share.
- Inform them about ways the company might be able to help, such as EAP or FMLA.
- Encourage them to get the help they need to return to their best selves.
At Cottonwood, we know that employment is not just a way people make money, but also often a part of their identity and a point of pride in their own accomplishments. We want our clients to have the support they deserve from their employers.
