There is No Recovery From Addiction

Question

I just learned that one of my salesmen is an ex cocaine addict who is getting ongoing cocaine addiction treatment so he doesn’t use. I know how often these guys relapse and in my opinion, once you are the kind of person who will break the law to buy drugs you are probably the kind of person who will break the law in other ways, such as by stealing to pay for drugs. What drives me crazy is that I can’t even fire this guy because if I did I would be discriminating against him as he is protected by the Americans with disabilities act. I am a regular family guy who has worked too hard to get where I am today. What can I do to protect my business from drug addicts when the DC government seems to want us to coddle those people in life who make bad choices and then I have to clean up their messes.

Lita Perna · Accepted Answer

I don’t know how you learned that one of your salesmen is in recovery.

Doesn't it make you wonder how many of your other sales people are in recovery that you don’t know about?

Have you ever considered that any one of your sales people could be a binge drinker, hidden alcoholic or secret prescription, or other drug user?

They’re everywhere.

You may be ‘safer’ with the guy in recovery.

You say you ‘know how often these guys relapse.’ I’ve been working in the field since 1986 and even I don’t know. It depends on the person.

Treatment works. Many people get well.

There isn’t a ‘kind’ of person who gets addicted.

I’ve worked with old ladies who are addicted to opiate pain medicine. I’ve worked with ‘regular family guys,’ psychologists, nurses, a nuclear power plant worker, a dentist and responsible PTA parents who are in recovery. You’d never be able to identify any one of them as a person who once used drugs excessively or illegally.

Did some of them make ‘bad choices’? Yes. Does that make them lifetime criminals? No.

For all you know, one of your children’s teachers is in recovery from addiction.

Have you ever had an irresponsible employee without a history of addiction?

How does this guy in recovery measure up?

Is your salesman a good employee? Is he making sales? Are you coddling him? Have you had to clean up any of his messes? Is he stealing?

I do understand your fear, and believe you worked hard to get where you are today, but you didn’t get where you are without someone giving you a chance.

It’s payback time.

Being bigger than your fear is what got you where you are today.

Not everyone gets the chance to be a hero.

Make your kids proud of you.

Stick your neck out.

Be a hero.

Give the guy a chance.

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