Depends on the boss. Here you are allowed up to 6 months of unpaid leave. One of my co-workers just got back from a four month trip around the world. I am not sure of the details, like how much advance notice you must give, but it wouldn’t be out of the question.
I should have mentioned that she is not in any sort of sensitive position, but someone would probably have to be hired to replace her–she’s the receptionist.
I had gastric bypass surgery in November, 2004. I was out from 11.11.04 to 12.20.04. I never had anything but 1001% support from everyone at my office. Points of clarification:
my procedure was medically necessary and I had the surgical documentation to support it. There was never a peep from HR re: disability leave, etc. I just submitted my paperwork & that was that.
I am the only one who does my job & I asked for and was given a laptop computer so I could do it from home, which I did.
If I were the co-worker, I would have asked my physician/surgeon to submit paperwork that would have made it more “acceptable” - maybe “craniofacial symmetrification” or something - I dunno.
My gastric bypass surgery was considered “elective” by virtue of the fact that it wasn’t an emergency, but I still received no guff about it.
Where I work, that would have to be unpaid leave. I don’t know how long ahead I’d have to schedule that much unpaid leave, but a couple of months ahead seems reasonable at the least.
I don’t know what our company policy on taking that much time off for elective surgery is, but I’m sure I’d be able to do it if it were medically necessary. However, being out of PTO means you don’t get to take any more time off the rest of the year, again, medical necessity not withstanding. And, anybody who saves up six weeks of PTO and takes off the last 6 weeks of the year when everybody else wants to take a few days or a week? Not so popular come the new year, facelift or no facelift.
Here, it would be vacation time for all you had left & unpaid for afterwards. Someone would have told her that if she waited until after the end of the fiscal year (when her vacation days replenish), she might be able to do it that way.
It seems to me that this should be handled behind closed doors, between her and her boss, however, so at the very least she doesn’t lose face…
This coworker had gastric bypass around that same time, after being on the job about a month. She was out for two months, though. It was a mess. Because she was just hired, boss didn’t want to hire a replacement (and of course, what do you do with the replacement who then would have been on the job longer than the first person?) so we tried to muddle through. It was awful. So I know that’s part of the boss’s reaction.
Some other people I’ve asked have said that 6 weeks off, paid or unpaid, simply wouldn’t happen at their workplace shy of an emergency.
I will say that sometimes you’re at the mercy of the surgeon’s schedule. Alos, if there’s an annual deductible or something insurance-wise, it may cost her more to wait till the new year.
I personally would make every attempt to schedule a procedure like this for a time when it would minimally impact the company. I’m planning on corrective surgery at some point and I would try to be considerate.
And another point - the last time of year I’d want to be recovering from painful (and yeah - it’s painful) reconstructive surgery would be over the holidays.
VCNJ~
Generally, vacation days don’t replenish in a big block. You just get 4.5 hours per week or whatever and it is saved up gradually. Co-worker would need to wait a year and a half and not take any time before then.
Actually, my last company did give you a big block at the beginning of the year. You got all of your PTO (if hourly) or vacation days (if salaried) right up front. It was one of the few nice things.
We get a big block at the beginning of the fiscal year, but it represents the time we have accrued during our prior year of employment. We can’t carry over vacation so there would be no way to save up six weeks’ worth.
Perhaps she can claim it would be a benefit to the company since receptionists are supposed to be purty to impress the clients :rolleyes:
My friend was out and about after two days. He didn’t do any strenuous work for two weeks. But it took ten weeks before all swelling and healing was done and over.
It would probably be unpaid leave at my company, assuming the supervisors approved the time off. We have to use personal days/vacation time for necessary medical procedures (though we can use sick days for the recovery).
I think that coworker is pretty inconsiderate. Almost everyone will want some time off during that period, and it’s harder to find temp workers then. Perhaps the boss would be more flexible if coworker would try to schedule this surgery during any slow season the business might have, with the agreement that she could use her vacation/personal time for the recovery period, and then possibly some unpaid time off, if needed.
However, I think that coworker is probably one of those unreasonable persons.
