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One quiet question in long-term sobriety is about drinking and work. Whether to tell anyone. Or it taking an hour for a meeting or an appointment will cost you something. Wondering if the benefits package covers help if you need it later.
A growing number of employers have decided to answer those questions before anyone has to ask. The recovery friendly workplace movement now has organized programs in at least 21 states.
A Recovery Friendly Workplace
The basic idea is that an employer builds policies around the assumption that some of its people are in recovery or will be. Furthermore, this is manageable rather than disqualifying. In practice that means training for supervisors and HR staff, clear internal policies, connections to local recovery organizations and naloxone available on site.
Programs fall into two rough categories. Designation programs are low-barrier, built around a commitment and some training. Certification programs require an employer to document what it actually does and meet a scored standard before it earns the label. Several states offer both.
The federal government uses the phrase recovery ready workplace for the same concept. The Department of Labor hosts a toolkit and resource hub under that name.
The Movement’s Growing
The movement started in New Hampshire in 2018 and has reached more than 300 workplaces in that state alone, covering roughly 61,000 employees. Other state programs have grown quickly. Rhode Island lists 153 participating employers, Ohio 150 and more.
The Institute also runs a national certification for employers too large or too spread out for any single state program. That list covers about 207,000 employees and includes Oracle, Shaw Industries, the Gorilla Glue Company, Premise Health, the National Safety Council, the Association of Flight Attendants, Associated Builders and Contractors and the State of Minnesota.
North Dakota joined that list on August 20, becoming the second state government to earn the national certification. Its application cited benefits for employees seeking help for substance use disorders, department-wide training, naloxone in the workplace, an Employee Assistance Program and a shared leave program for inpatient or partial hospitalization.
The range matters more than any single name. The certified and designated lists include manufacturers, construction firms, credit unions, restaurants, tattoo shops, libraries and car dealerships.
Work Holds Recovery in Place
The Institute’s report notes that more than 60% of American adults with a substance use disorder are in the workforce. Employment is one of the strongest predictors of good outcomes as it contributes to a healthy routine.
That tracks with what most people in long-term recovery already know. A schedule, an income, and a reason to be somewhere on Monday do work that no meeting can do alone. Losing a job is one of the most destabilizing things that can happen in recovery, although some folks use recovery to reflect and make changes in their life, even if that includes finding a new career with a healthier outlook for them.
Look in Your Own Workplace
You do not need a certified employer to figure out where you stand. A few things tell you most of it:
- Whether the health plan covers behavioral health at parity with medical care and what the deductible looks like.
- Whether there is an Employee Assistance Program and if it’s confidential.
- How leave works for outpatient treatment, which usually runs during business hours.
- Whether alcohol is the default at company events, and whether anyone has ever questioned that.
How much you disclose is your call and nobody else’s. Plenty of people in long-term recovery never tell an employer anything and do fine. Knowing what the policies say is useful either way.
Practical Tips for Staying Sober at Work
Alcoholics Anonymous built its approach around people staying sober together through meetings and the 12 Steps. For working adults the practical piece is scheduling. Early morning meetings before a shift, lunch hour meetings downtown and online meetings at almost any hour make it possible to keep a program going without rearranging your job around it.
- Find the meeting that fits your actual schedule rather than the one you wish you could attend.
- Read your benefits summary once, before you need it.
- Have a plan for work events where alcohol is served, including how you are getting home.
- Keep one person outside the office you can text during a hard afternoon.
- Track your days in the Sober App. Milestones land differently when the week has been rough.
AA at Work and Home
Our browsable directory covers AA meetings in all 50 states with city-level search and filters for online and open or closed meetings to make it easier to build a schedule around a job. The money and time you have regained and works alongside meetings rather than in place of them.
If you are struggling with alcohol and want help finding treatment or support, our helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at
800-948-8417
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Eric Owens is a writer and editor with a bachelor degree in Philosophy, which has helped him with presenting complex information in a simple way that all audiences can understand. He specializes in the mental health and addiction recovery space. He’s also passionate about the environment and has extensive experience in creating content related to sustainability issues
View ProfilePeter W.Y. Lee is a writer and historian of American history. His primary focus is on the Cold War era. His academic work examines the relationship between youth and popular culture and its impact on U.S. society during the twentieth century.
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