When/What/How???

1. When did you tell your employer you were going for surgery?
2. What did you tell them, did you tell them it was for WLS or just needed surgery?
3. How did you "break the news" to them?

Also, at the orientation session they mentioned we could be off for 3 - 6 weeks, anyone go back after 1 week?  did you have any complications?  Have a feeling this may already have been covered in previous post but not sure and not sure how to just find posts for this forum in the search tool, is that possible?  Thanks, Dorothy

I've had many surgeries and all I did was once I had my surgery date, told them I would be having surgery on XX date and I'd need to be off for xx weeks.  They have no right to ask what kind of surgery.  I have never told my employers what I was having done, just supply them with a doctor's note.  No point discussing it yet as you are nowhere near a date yet.  As for going back after a week, everyone is different.  Some need many weeks to recover and others recover quickly.

I didn't want anyone to know my business, so I took a week of vacation.  Going back in a week was not a problem for me.

 

All the best!

the other questions have been answered, so I'll just deal with that "1 week" question. A friend of mine did do that, and ended up in hospital with severe dehydration. Not worth it. If you have sick benefits, use them, take the full time off. I was off for 9 weeks.

Am trying to find out how much sick leave I have through benefits.... Would they be classified as long term? I am a single mom of three kids, can't afford to take unpaid time off...

At my work, I can take 2 weeks sick leave ... after that STD kicks in...

My hubby though has no paid sick days and no STD with his benefit package so it really depends on the employer.

Just ask your HR person.  You don't have to be specific about anything, just say if you were to be off work for medical reasons, how long are you covered for.  My last employer, I just had to provide a note after 3 days off then I was covered for 6 months as long as my doctor filled out the necessary paperwork that went to the Insurance company not my employer.  All companies are different so only your HR person can tell you what you are entitled to.  If you have no benefits through work then your only other option is EI but that requires a 2 week waiting period so you'd still go 2 weeks without income.

i don't know how things are with your place of work, but mine, it's 6 months before you go on long term. Just call your HR person.

You may have to give detailed info to the insurance company that provides your benefits.  But my understanding is that your employer is not allowed to ask what your diagnosis is.  However, they can ask you "the nature of your disabling illness or injury."  And you would tell them what accommodations you may need at work after you come back.

I'm assuming that means you have to tell them, "I'm going for surgery" or even, "I'm having abdominal surgery which requires x amount of recovery time" but you don't have to tell them, "I've been diagnosed with morbid obesity, diabetes, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure and I'm having gastric bypass surgery as treatment."  But I'm not a lawyer, so don't take my word for it!  All I know for sure is, you don't have to tell your employer your diagnosis.

An interesting blog post on this, highlighting an arbitration decision with the exact language around what you have to tell your employer if they ask ("the nature of your disabling illness or injury") but not diagnosis.

How it works for me is that my sick leave is short term disability done through my employer and the insurance company they use.  I didn't have to tell my employer anything except that I will be having surgery.  The insurance company deals with the details, and they don't tell the employer any of my medical details except for when I'll be back at work.  The form I filled out for the insurance company, however, asks for all the details about what kind of surgery, etc.

As it turns out, I'm quite friendly with my supervisor, so I've told her, as well as others at work, what kind of surgery I'm having.  But I didn't have to, and the employer itself doesn't "officially" know that I'm having weight loss surgery.  All they know is I'm having surgery, I'll be off for x number of weeks, and we'll do a return-to-work accommodation plan if necessary once I come back.

I have already told my boss and I have only attended the orientation session.  She is very supportive of my surgery and excited about this big change in my life.  I plan to take at least 4 weeks off work and I hope to have surgery in Ottawa sometime next year.  I have told many friends and family and I have yet to get a negative reaction.   My friend went back after 3 weeks and she said she was very tired and wished that she had stayed off longer.

 

Cheers,

K