To ask for sick leave for this?

[BrowniesAreSuper]

Or rather would my husband be U.

I'm having major surgery very soon (date only confirmed yesterday) and have to travel quite a bit for this. I'll be in hospital about a week and then need whatever time to recover at home after. We also have two under two. I'm currently on mat leave so obviously husband will need to take some time off. His work have been very understanding and are ok with him taking two weeks but have said he should go to his GP to get signed off for this period.

We both feel a bit weird about asking for him to be signed off as he's not sick, and don't want to waste a GP appointment so just thought I'd check what people think or whether this is a done thing? WWBU I guess!

If I were one of his colleagues I’d be a tad pissed off that he was permitted to take two weeks’ careers’ leave as sick leave. It should be annual leave or leave without pay.

If his managers are happy that he’s not working, but still being paid, then they should be upfront about that and just call it “special leave.” And be prepared for other employees to request the same consideration for their domestic arrangements.

He’s not sick, why on earth would any self respecting gp sign him off?
If he needs paid time off he’ll have to use annual leave like everyone else.

Whoa easy! I'm not asking how we can beat the system to get paid, it was what his boss suggested and we didn't think it sounded right but have limited experience with leave, so came here to ask before making fools of ourselves at the GP's.

(Other colleagues who feel hard done by are welcome to have my cushy operation with life-long implications and, for their spouse, a super duper 24/7 childcare holiday of two weeks on less-than-full or no pay if that sounds good...)

But surely you knew doctors don’t sign you off for paid sick leave unless you are the one who’s actually ill?

@74NewStreet that's always been my understanding yes, but ironically he works in healthcare, and the boss should be more up to date on things than us surely?
We weren't expecting sick leave, hence the query.

The company I work for has a category of leave they call domestic leave, used at managers’ discretion. I took some last year. I didn’t ask for it or even know about it, but my manager said they were allowed to authorise a number of days- it might have been up to three weeks - to be used in exceptional circumstances.

I was signed off for months because my mum was very ill and I was visiting her daily in hospital (vital to her needs). My boss told me to go to the GP and get signed off and the GP signed me off without hesitation with 'caring responsibility/ stress'.

there were a few dad's on the ward with us who's babies were in hospital for weeks and weeks on end and they were signed off by a gp
Perhaps they were genuinely stressed dealing with the premature birth of their baby?

I don't think your DH employer is being unreasonable. In fact, I think they're trying to help you out.

If your DH gets sick pay, then you will be in a better position. Whereas he might only be eligible for unpaid leave.

In theory he could be signed off with stress related issues which is reasonable.

Your DH has no obligation to grant him unpaid leave so I think they are trying to help you. I appreciate you don't want to waste a GP appointment but you should see it from the business point of view.

I hope the operation goes well and speedy recovery.

I have a relative signed off to look after their partner, so it does happen

If the employer was OK with it I'd have my husband ask his GP and explain the situation and what my employer had said, nothing to lose by asking

@Wanteddownunder

No, it was signed as domestic support (or something similar, can't remember the exact terminology) it was to enable them to care for their other children