medical leave

Can anyone tell me did your employer consider this surgery like they would any other surgery to cover being paid on medical leave ? Did you just all use vacation time for this or did they let you off work on a medical leave ? I know every co will be different but was just wondering. I dont know if they can consider this elective surgery and not pay or give you the time off. Seems to me its not really elective when your insurence pays for it because it improves your health. I am wondering if this will be a problem for me. We have good benifits and they pay me when im off for any other medical condition.

Time off depends on what kind of job you have.  I was in the office and only took 8 work days off (sick time).  Returned with little or no issues.  Everyone has a different tolerance level to pain and what their work schedule might be.  Every job is different especially if you are lifting and tugging during your work shift. 

I have read that some on this blog took up to 6 weeks off.  You are the only one that knows what would be good for you.

Best of luck with your surgery and journey to an improved health.

 Most companies require you to use all paid vacation before a Short Term Disability benifit kicks in.  This has always seemed a silly requirement to me personally.  I think STD is a benifit and if you are willing to wait for it to kick in you shouldn't have to burn your earned vacation time to get it...but that is a completely separate argument.

My company's insurance covered my surgery and I filled out paperwork for FMLA in case I had to be out longer than I was scheduled but I was not out of work long enough for STD to kick in.  I just horded my vacation time for the year before my surgery knowing I was headed down that path.  I was out of work for 2 weeks and had almost the whole time paid just with my vacation.  My company's STD didn't kick in until 30 days out of work.

I'm taking medical leave since I don't qualify for FMLA because I'm part-time and don't have enough hours earned. This means, I won't be paid during my time off. If you qualify for FMLA they will use your pdo/pto bank up to cover your time. If you don't have enough hours then it will fall to your short- term disability if you have one and if not your remaining time will be unpaid. This is exactly the same thing they would have done for me if I had to have any other sort of surgery or medical condition. The government states that medical leave is available for some employees and offers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. Check out the website and talk to your hr to find out how it works for you:
http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/benefits-leave/fmla.htm

I work in an office and our company does not require that we use vacation time before short term disability.  I took off 2 weeks and got paid just like I was working.  Surgery is surgery in their eyes regardless of the type.

All companies are different as far as time off policy but by law they are not allowed to inquire what kind of surgery your having.  (falls under the privacy act) As long as you have something from your doctor saying that you are in need of surgery. 

All my employers know is that I am having surgery on July 11 and will be out 3 to 4 weeks.

thanks. If it works like any other surgery I will only need to use 1 week and get pd while im off then still have vacation left also. we have good benifits.

I was off 7 weeks (open RNY) and it was treated as any surgery would have been. Even when I had my tummy tuck (different employer, different plan (that only paid 60% of salary on STD)) it was written up as reconstructive surgery following massive weight loss and was covered under STD (60% of salary for 4 weeks was better than NO salary for 4 weeks!).

Lora