How much info is too much?

[Dippyblonde]

Hi, I've been signed off work following an operation. I advised work in advance I'd probably be off for 4/6 weeks but they rang me repeatedly before my sick line ran out and I felt a little pressured about returning. The doctor indicated I had surgery on the line but they wanted to know more. I understand they have a duty of care towards me but it's a large organisation and they do not always keep information as confidential as they should - once the cat's out of the bag ...
I'm a private person anyway and have not even told my immediate family why I'm off.

Anyway, my question is, if my consultant and gp have both sent in a line stating having surgery and recovering from an operation, and presuming they note any concerns about returning to work, how much more is my employer entitled to know?

I don't know but this is something you ought to ask your employer.
Just ask- do they need the actual condition on their records. Say it's confidential medical information.

Having said that, I can't see what is so secret about any operation unless it's maybe cosmetic and you want to keep that quiet.

If it's something gynae-connected, that's so common that you ought not to be embarrassed.

I'd be inclined to say it's 'xyz' related but the doctor, in writing, signed a sick note for 4-6 weeks
How much more do you need to k ow as I don't want my private medical information known to be frank

It's not cosmetic but rather a fairly significant operation for medical reasons. If I were sure it would stay confidential I wouldn't worry but it's not the organisation's culture. I keep my private business private and I don't want people feeling sorry for me.
I'll ask my doctor about it next time but appreciate your views.

I'm sorry but I find it rather weird that you can have a major operation that requires 6 weeks off work and even your close family don't know about it.

How can anyone support you if they don't even know about it?

There can't be anything you've had done whether it's a gynae thing like a hysterectomy, termination, etc that is so hard to share with close family.

Maybe you need to think about being less private? It sounds extreme.

Yes your employer is entitled to some details for a variety of reasons not least so they can support you back into work and ensure you are provided with any reasonable adjustments. You should check your contract regarding your obligation to cooperate any Company Sick pay could be conditional on this.

Philomena, maybe you're assuming her family is like yours? She clearly has reasons why she doesn't want to share her health problems with them.