Did You Know Addiction is a Disability Under the Law?
Mila Arutunian
Director of Employment Law Litigation and Personal Injury Relations
Transcript
“Did you know your addiction may be a protective disability under the law? If you’re battling addiction and thinking about getting treatment but are worried about losing your job if you go to rehab, I’m here to tell you – you may be legally entitled to take protected time off work to get the help that you need to get better.
Under the California family Rights Act you may qualify for up to 12 weeks of job protected leave if you’re getting treatment through a licensed provider and under California’s disability laws addiction when treated is considered a disability. This means your employer may have to provide reasonable accommodations like time off for rehab or outpatient care but keep in mind recreational drug use on the job is not protected. It is the decision to get healthy that triggers legal protection. If you’re ready to take that step, you don’t have to choose between your job and your recovery – the law may be on your side.
In tomorrow’s video I will walk you through exactly what you need to do to request protected time off for addiction treatment. Stay tuned for more!”