After the Addiction, Opioid Users Struggle to Get Back to Work

Given the nationwide opioid epidemic, John said he didn’t think disclosing his methadone treatment for a previous opioid addiction to his employer would be a big deal.

The clinic where he received treatment six times a week was only four or five miles from the restaurant where he worked, but the trip via public transportation often took two hours. So, he asked for an accommodation as he could be late if his appointment took longer than usual.

His boss was initially understanding. “Next thing I know, the switch flips,” he said in a phone interview—his identity concealed behind a pseudonym ...