Paid Sick leave from employer following eye surgery. ? will they pay

[SayItWithWine]

I am going to have my lenses (in my eyes!)replaced for severe bad eyesight. They have to do each eye seperately a week apart. It will mean at least 2 weeks off work. It is classed as cosmetic as my vision is corrected now by glasses. Has anyone been in this situation, could you get time off sick?

Dont know whether to just phone in sick after the first op and say eyes too bad to work at computer, or just come clean and accept if they refuse to pay. How will I pay my mortgage that month?

Have posted this in general health and been redirected here but have already had some excellent replies.

What does your contract or sickness absence policy say? Is sick pay discretionary in any way? Sometimes elective procedures are specifically excluded.

I would definitely not recommend any kind of deceit, there's no way you could keep it up for a start.

Have rapidly gone of the deceit idea, hopeless at lying anyway and just goes completely against the grain. My contract does not exclude it specifically but it is discretionary. On the general health a very good link was posted which did answer the question you have posed on how employers deal with this kind of situation. I think I will have to put my case to HR
a. it is to correct a disability (I have very very poor eyesight
b. I get headaches (I use a computer all day)
c. I get neck strain from all the additional neck movement, as the glasses give me tunnel vision.
d. Poor night vision and driving diff.
e. I gave up my previous job because of the neck strain.
f. I have to have my computer screen 12 inches away and use reading glasses as no other prescription was suitable.

Incidentally I am genuinely doing this for all the above and not at all for vanity.

Going by that list you ought to be able to get your GP to write saying it's medically necessary or something I would have thought.

Yes talk to HR and point all those things out, but make sure you also talk to your line manager and get him/her onside as well. If sick pay is discretionary then the line manager's opinion of a sickness absence will be very relevant.

My line manager is very nice and provisionally said I could have a week off, so will discuss later this week. Thanks for the input. Feeling a bit better now.

Where I am we'd expect you to use annual leave for a cosmetic procedure.