AIBU to take the full six weeks signed off after surgery?

@Phoneshop have you had the opportunity to speak with an occupational health practitioner? I know not all organisations have them in house but they should be able to access. I always thought referral to OH was the first step in managing you out but it really isn't, they're about protecting you and your wellbeing at work.

That's appalling behaviour by HR. What a bloody cheek.
Your body needs to heal and rest. When you think you're ready for work, you'll probably need at least another week. Work is much more demanding than we realise - you need to (maybe) commute, and sit and concentrate for hours.
Good luck with the recovery 💐

You need to take the time and recover. Anything over 4 weeks is long term sickness in the NHS and you would be entitled to a discussion with Occ health and possibly a phased return to work. No idea whether you work for a large company or a small one - but don’t be guilt tripped into returning before you are sufficiently recovered.

Your surgeon or GP have said you're off for six weeks to recover. That's the end of the discussion as far as tour work are concerned until you're closer to going back, then you can discuss whether you need a phased return or adjustments.

I took 6 weeks off after a nasty hemorrhoidectomy last summer. Some people here went back the same week apparently - not a chance here. I was barely able to sit for five minutes at a time, lying on my side on my bed all day and hobbling to the loo with dreadful gory experiences in the bathroom for two weeks and near-collapsing with vasovagal reactions to pooping for a month. I couldn't be in the garden sunbathing, that's for sure - I wouldn't have managed the stairs for the loo each time! I sit all day in a sedentary job and still have a gel seat pad for my arse. It took me months to be comfortable siting for longer than an hour or so.

My work only knew I had colorectal surgery and it could be up to 12 weeks recovery time (per my surgeons advice) so they were delighted it was only 6 weeks 😂.

So fuck your work. Recover. This is much too important to your long term physical and mental health. Do whatever you need to do to get through this and they can fuck off.

Wow that is insane. That’s a major op. Friend a hernia op and had two weeks off.

@ZovI’m glad you asked as I totally didn’t get it either. But it’s actually a great saying!

This.100% the point.

Oh don’t get me wrong…. I 100% think you should take the 6 weeks off!! I would in your shoes and go back with a beautiful tan just to pee off HR 😂

100% take your six weeks off.
You had a big surgery and you will need them, 100%. Consultants are really good in assessing how long it takes to heal.
Do not worry about HR.

Everyone is different. I had a hysterectomy and felt terrible in the first week but then was fine by day 10 and went back to work gradually. Basing your return to work in week 1 is too soon. But you shouldn't be off sick if you're feeling better towards the end of the 6 weeks.

Your doctor has given you 6 weeks because you need six weeks. When I had a hysterectomy I was signed off for 8 weeks. While I had mostly physically recovered by 6 weeks I felt tired much more quickly and still needed to rest more frequently. You’re also at heightened risk of causing yourself damage through stress and strains - picking up something too heavy, overdoing it while mowing the lawn, etc.

Even after you start to feel better your body is still busy knitting everything back together. It’s better to take a week too long than a week too short. Otherwise a proper recovery will just drag on for ages.

Id point out that the entire point of the fit note system is to relieve HR/Manager from trying to judge when it's the right time to come back to work.

This x 1 zillion times…….

I agree with this - definitely take the full 6weeks, your health is the most important thing here.

However, I always find the "if you died they'd replace you" thing a very weird thing to say! Why wouldnt they replace you?- if every single business never replaced anyone who passed away out of respect for their memory, then businesses wouldnt be able to function after enough time had passed and would end up closing and everyone would lose their jobs.

Similarly, if your work place ended up closing because the MD died, you'd equally just find another job - you wouldnt stay unemployed out of respect for your former boss! sorry that was off on a tangent but I just find that saying a bit silly

Yes but the OP didn't just have a ureteric stent fitted she had 4 hour robotic surgery to reconstruct her ureter. So a stent in a ureter that has just been repaired is going to be very uncomfortable. There are different reasons for stents and pain from them is very common. I used to work in urology so saw this all the time. If you had a daycase procedure and stent insertion then yes, you effectively could go back to work when it is put in but that is very different to what has happened here.

when is yours being removed?
how did HR raise this with you? Verbally or by email?

Depending on what your employers policies are will depend on how they treat your long term absence.
After a certain amount of time people can go onto half pay, then nil pay. And then if the absence cannot be tolerated the employer will seek to part company.

But. The most important thing is your health. Now. The surgeon has given you six weeks to recover. So try to do that. Your employer should not question the note the Dr has given you at all.

Get well soon. And hopefully you can be back at work.

Bloody hell most people are able to return to work the day after placement of a uretarel stent!

To be fair, nhs is explicit that you should be able to continue working normally unless physical work

Ureteric stents are notoriously uncomfortable so this doesn't sound unusual as your consultant said. Definitely take the full 6 weeks off- If you went back early then had to go off sick again then it would count as 2 episodes and would be worse on your sickness record than one longer episode. Hope you start to feel better soon, sounds like you've been through it!

Op,

I took 3 weeks off just for a quick gallbladder removal.

Honestly, take it all off and put yourself first.

I worked for my last company for 10 years, had a period of 6 straight years with no sick days and i was still made redundant. They wouldn’t give you any medals for not taking any time off sick if you weren’t ill.

Best of luck with your recovery. Must be awful with young kids as well x

Just take the time off, it really won’t matter in the grand scheme of things. I’m currently off and HR have been amazing, we all have the mindset that ‘one recovery’ is the aim (I had a sudden neurological event which meant I also need a delightful catheter) rather than going back too soon and going off again, which would be more disruptive. You only have one body, work is work x

How was this conveyed to you? Verbally or in an email?

I’m wondering why HR has even had such a conversation with you about this. Surely all you did was send in your fit note? Did HR contact you after they received it - because that’s not on!