Some of us may still have a job when we become sober. Others may not have worked in a long time. Employers can be longsuffering with us or terminate us at the first sign of trouble. Either way we give them a hard time. We were hired to do a job and that is what we must do. Nothing more and nothing less. Some addicts envision themselves as a vision of grandeur. We believe we are the experts and know how things should be done. This can lead to conflict with a boss. They probably have been working there for a while and know how to run their business. I’m sure that if they wanted your expertise, they would ask for it.
We may believe that our poor performance and behavior goes unnoticed. We may be working outside the office in a remote position some of the time. This will give you more time to drink and use if you can work from home. You may also meet clients for lunch or meetings outside of the office. This gives you the chance to pad the expense account. It may also give you a chance to have a few drinks with the client. Hopefully they are not disturbed by your drinking. You may be able to find a nice park and take a nap to sleep off drinks you had at lunch. Hopefully you won’t have slept for three or four hours and forgot to check in with your boss regarding the client and the meeting.
Then the lying starts. You tell the boss that you got food poisoning from the meal that you had with the clients. You had to go straight home as you were very sick. This story may work one or two times but I’m sure the boss will become suspicious as to why you get sick so often. Maybe they will invite you to lunch to observe what and how you eat. After all you can’t pretend to be ill when the boss is sitting right there next to you at the restaurant. A miraculous cure you say and thank them for inviting you to lunch. You had just been ordering things that didn’t sit well with you.
Upon becoming sober it is a good thing to talk to your boss and explain that now you are living a life of sobriety. You don’t have to confess your deeds. Just let them know that your behavior has changed, and you will be a better employee in the future. Some bosses may not take kindly to this information and terminate you. It’s just too much for them to take. One can hardly expect to be kept on as an employee if the behavior has been very injurious to the company.
So, you see that recovery encompasses all areas of your life. We have to make a living to support ourselves or our family if we have one. If we have less than stellar references, it may be tough to find a new position. Word may have got out that we drink too much. This could taint the view of potential hiring managers as to whether or not to hire us. This is just the price we may have to pay for our behavior while drinking and using. If we persevere, we will eventually find a job. It may not be our dream job but at least we now have some income. And if we work hard and don’t pick up a drink or drug again we may eventually work our way into a dream job.