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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not tell my workplace what operation im having

57 replies

Vanillamanilla1 · 01/07/2017 16:26

It's quite well known amongst the staff what procedure im having , however , when it comes to actually having the surgery and giving a sick note I'll ask the gp to write " Post operative recovery "
The procedure is a planned one but I'm worried itlk be classed as cosmetic
Ive been with the company for many years 10+ years and I know that if they can get out of paying me sick pay them they will
Can I just have on my sicknnote " post operative recovery " witgout actually telling them what the operation is
To be honest it's personal ( even tho I have told many ) and don't want the higher bosses knowing

OP posts:

Redhead17 · 01/07/2017 17:29

I had surgery for deviated septum which some people have to straighten their nose rather than for a medical reason, mine was done medically, however I ended up with a smaller nearer nose. It was planned but could be deemed cosmetic. I was signed off for recovery and that was it

Clalpolly · 01/07/2017 17:31

The key thing is to talk to HR and don't try and hoodwink them.

LadyLapsang · 01/07/2017 17:34

We have to enter a code for the nature of the sickness so would expect to know. Unless you will be off a short time you may also trigger a warning due to the amount of sick leave you have taken (8 days in a rolling year in our case, which is only 6 working days if all one period of sickness as a Friday and Monday would count as 4 days). If that happens, your manager will have to make a decision on whether to refer you to HR / Occupational Health, which is a bit difficult if they don't know the nature of the problem, so if you refused to disclose the illness and the doctor had written something vague, I would guess they would refer you and let OH make a judgement.The other issue is a manager has to make a judgement on whether someone needs any supportive action on their return to work and enter what has been agreed.

PetalsOnPearls · 01/07/2017 17:34

I've had sick leave for cosmetic surgery before...

I'm about to have it again for two "almost cosmetic" surgeries (well one is purely cosmetic, the second one has a non-cosmetic side to it too, but the main reasons for both are because of my confidence.

My Gp has always kept information on sick notes to bare minimum. I've only ever had two though.

SomeKnobend · 01/07/2017 17:40

I had this. They wouldn't pay me for the day of surgery, as it was cosmetic, I had to take leave, but they had to pay me for the recovery period as I was physically unable to work. I had to research online and show them they had to pay though, at first they said they wouldn't pay anything.

harderandharder2breathe · 01/07/2017 17:48

YABU to tell lots of people at work and expect managers not to find out, that's just stupid.

YANBU to have a generic explanation on your fit note though

nocoolnamesleft · 01/07/2017 18:03

YABU to think your GP should be doing the sick note for elective surgery. It's the surgeon's job.

maggie222 · 01/07/2017 18:08

We are currently going through this. My lovely DP has worked for civil service for 35 years without one day off sick. He is just one of those who goes in whatever.

I need a kidney transplant and my lovely OH is a match so is donating to me. His workplace are being funny whether he is entitled to sick pay to recover as the operation is not of benefit him.

If he was to go under gender reassignment he would be paid throughout but all the various tests and scans etc so far he has had to take as holidays. Crazy!

The hospital do have something in place where they pay your wages if you do not get paid as the transplant saves the NHS a lot in dialysis and treatment costs but it takes a while to get reimbursed and is a bit of a faff, I also feel it should be down to his employer.

He has always done more than his pay grade and many more hours a week than needed but this has made him think "what is the point"

WomblingThree · 01/07/2017 18:13

nocoolnamesleft surely only the initial fit note though? I was off for 6 months after surgery. I just phoned my GP practice and it was reissued. I would hardly have got an appointment with the surgeon every month just for him to write me a fit note!

PratStick · 01/07/2017 18:18

Is it batiatric surgery?

TBH I think telling half the place you work with was stupid and you should be honest at this point.

nocoolnamesleft · 01/07/2017 18:20

The surgeon is meant to issue one for as long as they believe you will need off - something that they should have a much better idea about than the GP. If someone has an unusually long need to be off, then maybe the GP...though if problems that troublesome, then probably need a surgical review.

Dibbles1967 · 01/07/2017 18:35

My DD needs to have her tonsils out, after years of recurring tonsillitis, but her employer said she will need to take the time off as holiday. I think that's disgusting.

NoYesMaybe · 01/07/2017 18:38

Vanillamanilla1 If most of the staff know trust me your bosses probably know as well. Bad decision there if you wanted to keep it a secret.

AndTakeYourHorseWithYou · 01/07/2017 19:29

They all know anyway, you should have been more discreet.

happypoobum · 01/07/2017 19:35

Hmmm, I worked with a woman who was refused paid sick leave for a boob job. She complained as a colleague had paid time off for a boob reduction but the employer said that was needed for medical reasons because the woman had a bad back.

They would have to pay you SSP but I don't think they have to pay you any more than that if it's elective? Anyone know for sure?

I also recall a colleague who didn't get paid sick leave when her pierced tongue meant she couldn't talk.

GabsAlot · 01/07/2017 19:58

@maggie222 im astounded how disgusting of them i chang jobs if possible

what a lovely selfless thing to do for you

wish u all the best

AndTakeYourHorseWithYou · 01/07/2017 20:04

After 35 years you'd just change jobs? Don't be daft.

maggiethemagpie · 01/07/2017 20:05

I had a sterilisation, not strictly medically necessary but I couldn't be arsed with contraception any more.

I just said it was a 'gynaelogical procedure'. That tends to stop any further questions!

Besides if you're too ill to work following an operation you're genuinely ill and should get sick pay. If you have a doctors note they would find it very difficult to not pay you statutory sick pay. If there is extra sick pay on top of that , they have more discretion.

maggiethemagpie · 01/07/2017 20:07

Someone where I work has just had 12 weeks off for a procedure to donate a kidney to a family member - so she herself was perfectly healthy before the op and it was not done for her own medical reasons. Luckily where I work they are quite nice and would let someone have full sick pay for that - for the whole 12 weeks too.

maggie222 · 01/07/2017 20:27

GabsAlot thanks for that

He only has another 5 years before he would be eligible for early retirement and he has to consider his pension.

Ironically he did consider a new job a number of years ago but we knew my health was declining so thought sticking with a local government job would be safer if he was needing to do flexible hours etc to care for me. Never did we think a civil service job he had worked in for 35 years would deny time off for this...I guess times have changed

Backingvocals · 01/07/2017 20:34

maggie that's shocking. Wishing you both all the best.

Mehfruittea · 01/07/2017 20:34

If it is funded by the NHS then it would be a necessary procedure? As a manager, this is how I try and draw the line. Unless someone is paying to go private for something that could have been done in the NHS, but would have to wait. IYSWIM.

Quite a few people would suggest bariatric surgery is cosmetic, but it is done for wider health benefit. You can have a generic statement on your sick note.

maggie222 · 01/07/2017 20:47

My sisters husband also donated a kidney to her ( we obviously sniff out our potential men well )

His work said they would pay him, they failed to mention it would be just SSP, he discovered it when he got his payslip a few days after the op. He ended up going back in work after less than 2 weeks as they would not have been able to pay their mortgage and got a massive hernia which needed further surgery and time off.

The hospital also failed to tell them about reimbursment of wages but did step in when he needed the further surgery so he could have a bit of time to recover without worrying they would lose their house.

GabsAlot · 01/07/2017 21:32

maggie youve both got great husbands and i wish you all the bst

Redsrule · 01/07/2017 21:45

I was recently not paid, teacher in state school, for reconstructive surgery after a maestectomy. It was deemed cosmetic under the rules this wonderful Conservative government have put in place.

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