Reason for taking time off work

[Catmandu]

I will be implanted next month, just figuring out the logistics of everything.
I am thinking to tell people I am having a hernia operation, that's what the surgeon advised to say also as it is in a similar area and has a similar recovery time.

If I go with this reason, would it be something I am able to tell my employer in advance, say that I am having a hernia operation on this date or is it something that is an emergency that you only find out on the day of? I appreciate this may sound very naive but I've never had any health issues before so not sure how this all works.

[Rebz89]

I just said that I was having an operation and wouldn't be able to work in the office after my recovery I did say it was for urology but that was all. Let their minds wander. I did say it was urology incase my "sick note" mentioned it. Anything more than that is none of their business.

It's better to be honest to a certain extent than being caught out on a lie like it saying urology if you need to be signed off etc

[crazyjoe]

I share Rebz’s suggestion. I’m retired but since I would be in NYC for a few days, my wife knew but I told my daughters that I was going in for a urology procedure and would be out of commission for a few days, but not to worry as it wasn’t a serious issue. When you say urology it’s true but you get no questions so I didn’t have to tell them I would be out of town.

[Livingstonguy]

I took off 4 weeks. I was on a 10# weight restriction for the first 3 weeks and my job is very physical and requires me to get in and out of my car several times a day. By the 4th week I was very ready to get back to work.

I told my employer i had to have some reconstruction due to my prostate cancer.

[SWorks17]

I did tell all my friends and family that I was having hernia surgery but I had already retired. Thinking about what the other guys have said they would use, I would use prostrate excuse also.

I did have a prostrate procedure done before the implant; I had the Rezume procedure done on my benign enlarged prostrate and it had about the same healing time with the same restrictions.

Good Luck, welcome to the club

[Old Guy]

Congrats, once it's over and you're healed you'll be happy.
Told my family it was a cyst on a testicle that needed removed as it was causing pain and getting worse.
No one asked for details.

[ThailandBound]

My employer, a major corporation, does d not ask for details. I was required to submit some pre-absence paperwork, signed by the doctor, indicating expected time away. Although my doctor thought i’d be ok to return at one month, he agreed to indicate “6 weeks”, just in case. That prevented me from having to resubmit paperwork, just in case.

The form did ask “reason for absence”. My doctor wrote in “medically necessary procedure”. That’s it. No questions asked by the human resource department or my immediate supervisor.

Btw. I returned to work after 1 month.

[LMCatman]

I said it was a follow-up to my prostate cancer surgery....

[Downunder]

I have told my immediate and trusted supervisor EXACTLY why I requested time off and there was no problem. At Dr Christine's advice I scheduled a full two weeks out, but more or less may be needed depending on my recovery. I work mostly from home, so time off the road should not be an issue as I can sustain the light duty for longer if needed.

My experience with bypass surgery a few years back was that I bounced back much quicker than I had been led to expect, and I very soon got stir crazy from being stuck at home. Laying around get old quickly!

To everyone else, I have only told them it is urology surgery, and called it "old guy stuff" or "you don't want to know", all of which is accurate enough.

[sswinsfba]

I will be implanted next month, just figuring out the logistics of everything.
I am thinking to tell people I am having a hernia operation, that's what the surgeon advised to say also as it is in a similar area and has a similar recovery time.

If I go with this reason, would it be something I am able to tell my employer in advance, say that I am having a hernia operation on this date or is it something that is an emergency that you only find out on the day of? I appreciate this may sound very naive but I've never had any health issues before so not sure how this all works.

What and how much you tell your employer in order to take accured sick and vacation leave, depends based on your employer's policies and the type/duration of the leave that you are taking.

You do NOT have to tell your employer EXACTLY what the medical reason is for taking the leave time. What you tell others doesn't matter but, whatever you do, do NOT lie to your employer about it.

eg. Don't tell your employer your getting a hernia operation but you could say that you are undergoing a planned surgical procedure to fix a urological problem.

Your employer can ask for a medical verficiation of your need to take the requested leave but the doctor is also not obligated to disclose the exact reason, just the medical necessity for the leave.

Beyond taking accured sick & vacation leave, you "may" also be able to take unpaid leave for up to 12 wks under the FMLA -- Family & Medical Leave Act, which guarantees your right to take the leave time for specific reasons and reinstatement in your position upon your return. One of the reasons allowing leave under the act is: "a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the position of such employee."

See for example: https://www.employmentlawyernewyork.com ... -fmla.html

See also the text of the act, here: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/laws-a ... /laws/fmla

Your employer is legally obligated to protect the privacy of whatever medical information that you or your doctor provides in order to request/obtain leave under the FMLA and is also subject to maintain the confidentiality of your medical records under other laws.

However, the general rule is to disclose only what is necessary to disclose to your employer in order to verify the basis of the request for medical leave, whether under the company's general leave policies and/or the FMLA.