Plastic Surgery
Kayeh
9 Posts
Our sick leave policy states that sick leave is to be used when an employee is too sick to work. We have an employee that has asked off for 6 weeks for elective plastic surgery. Her request was turned down but she is now saying that we could only take a vacation day on the day of the surgery and after that she would be too sick to work so she wants her sick time used.
Has anyone had to address this issue?
Has anyone had to address this issue?
Comments
If an employee comes to you and says they need 6 weeks of leave for medical reasons AND it is verified by her doctor, allow it.
Plus, if your policy states the sick leave is to be used when an employee is too sick to work and the doctor verifies that she is too sick to work, allow the sick leave.
That said, now I'm curious. What kind of plastic surgery puts you down for 6 weeks? I know that Lasik surgery and breast implants require a 4 day weekend. Just curious.
I do not think it is right for an employee to use their sick leave instead of vacation or unpaid leave for an elective procedure.
Furthermore, a law was passed effective 1/1/03 which permits an employee to CHOOSE the TYPE of leave to use to care for a child with "a health condition that requires treatment or supervision," OR to care for a spouse, parent, parent-in-law, or grandparent that has a "serious health or emergency condition."
This doesn't necessarily bother me either; but it does show how employee-friendly this state is.
It hasn't been abused at our company.
Speaking of elective - isn't having a baby?
My current employer, though, states as long as we have a completed CHP from the physician then we should accept and move on.
I would require the CHP. I agree that this doesn't require 6 weeks recovery.
Frankly, if someone had just tucked my tummy & sucked out my thighs.......I think I'd want more than a 4-day weekend.
It's really up to the company what they will allow and disallow as "sick". Some companies are very generous. When my cousin lost her husband, her employer let her use her sick leave time instead of requiring vacation for bereavement type leave and it was several weeks.
In the case of FMLA, elective plastic surgery would not apply. One of the posters was correct in saying the employee only had to give a doctors' excuse that she was having surgery and would need to be out six weeks.
As far as "tummy tucks", this can be very extensive. In breast reconstruction after mastectomy, this type of procedure of often done to use the muscle and fat from the stomach to reconstruct a breast. There is an extensive incision with drainage (more than you wanted to know huh?). Liposuction isn't something with a long recovery period unless there are complications.
costmetic surgery that is performed in relation to restruction due to injury or cancer, per se is covered.
dynamite9551
"...don't forget to count it simultaneously as FMLA."
Posted by Rockie:
"In the case of FMLA, elective plastic surgery would not apply. One of the posters was correct in saying the employee only had to give a doctors' excuse that she was having surgery and would need to be out six weeks."
?
Why would we not be safe in turning down this request since the employee stated that it is elective surgery.
Employee is also head of a department and taking six weeks off from work puts a burden on our company.
I was faced with a similar situation wherein an employee's spouse elected the popular laser eye surgery but was traveling to Canada to save money. Could have had the surgery locally. I did some calling around to various local clinics and determined the average length of absence necessary. The employee was then allowed 1.5 days of sick leave. The full day of surgery for care of spouse and .5 for doctor appt on the day prior to surgery. The employee was not happy.
WA state does have a new law allowing the choice of sick leave for spouse, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent and child under 18, vastly broadening the use of sick leave. And it is abused.
Go PTO.
As for the surgery, unless you have a policy stating that they can not use sick time or STD for elective surgeries, I think you'll have to allow it.
I know what it was like to have a c-section...I don't think a tummy tuck is much different (now I need the tummy tuck, I think the ob/gyn's and plastic surgeons are conspiring). I walked like a hunched over old lady for weeks all I was missing was the cane.