Can employer insist I don't have elective surgery on a given date?

[fightingSmiths]

I am waiting for surgery (elective) and will need more than a couple of weeks to recover (severe stage 4 endo). I spoke to my manager and he said as the business is incredibly busy and I am business critical, I will be expected to not go ahead with it anytime soon but to postpone it. The company's reasoning is along the lines elective = not important. I don't have an actual date yet and it may well be a while off but I am looking into funding it privatly as I am in severe pain on a daily basis.

Can work really disallow this procedure as it is not an emergency surgery? And what happens if I go ahead anyways?

I’m in HR and just AGOG that your company is just letting your manager make such decisions about staff wellbeing.

Who in HR did you speak to, was it someone reasonably senior? I don’t see how anyone with even a scant understanding of equality legislation could give the response that you got from them initially.

I hope you get a good steer from ACAS and best of luck for the surgery.

@fightingSmiths

have you got the latest copy of their sickness policy to see what it says about how many days' sickness absence per annum they give employees?

what do you mean?

If you work for a blue chip company they should have a sickness policy they issue to staff.

Are you saying your entire organisation is only covered for SSP which is the statutory payment by the government? Do they not give you any enhancement to the bare minimum?

daisy yep, SSP only. I worked for blue chip and little companies. I find blue chip companies in general treat their staff with far more contempt than many little employers who see you as a human, not a number.

Have you decided where you can take things next, @fightingSmiths

You sound demoralised and resigned that your employer doesn't care or support it's people, but the reality is your health should be top of your priority list. Do you feel you have enough insights from what people have said on here to equip you to address the need for them to support absence when you've had your essential surgery ?

It isn't always feasible to just leave your company because they don't treat you well, so it's exploring the art of the possible, and highlight their obligation to support you from a health perspective including support you can gain from your GP to argue your case strongly.

daisy, I only do 4.5h /day which enablede to work school hours. One of the DC has severe learning difficulties and autism and there is no wrap around childcare. Getting this job was like Jackpot as they are rarely around. I am on no position to just leave this job in order to prioritise my health.

I tried ACAS but didn't get through but will see what they say and then probably wait until a have a date and take things from there.

GP is not that supportive. I am crumbling under the strain of caring/working and chronic pain and their only suggestion is to find ways to leave work. Social services to get respite are of no help either. I just find carrying on is the only option. Some people don't have choices in life. My bills don't pay themselves.

I would push to get your GPs support for the severity of your condition. Can you get a female GP to help? Very often women's gynae problems are poorly understood and supported by males in the profession. You need a female to champion your medical needs, especially if you have no other income or support and if your pain levels are constantly high. Don't give up, as getting this sorted will give you the quality of life you currently lack due to pain and stress.

Keep trying ACAS, they may just be busier this week due to the bank holiday week.

OP I've name changed for a different thread and didn't mean to scare you on recovery times, but yes it can take much longer to recover if you've previously had ablation surgery. Mine was pouch of Douglas, bladder wall, pelvic wall and uterus.

I'm 46 if that makes a difference and on a forum where the younger women are recovering a bit faster but it's expected to be 6-12 months for full recovery.

I spent week one, strong drugs in bed, week 2 pottering at home, in and out of bed, week 3 I think I did too much and ended up back on strong drugs.. I think it was a month before I drove and nobody would guess I'd had surgery. My brain was all over the place from the pain relief as well and lack of sleep.

I think because it's taking the root, and they do wide excision so take more surface area that it's longer for the body to heal.

I've been a bit unlucky as it's caused bladder issues and massive inflammation, so managing with diet at the moment and I'm 10 months out of surgery and still have pelvic pain, again wondering if I have adenomyosis as well.

But we are all so so different, I just worried as it seemed your workplace aren't going to support a strong recovery and just wanted to give you a heads up.

Recovery time is also very much dependent on the external incision. So a laparotomy is going to need far more recovery time then laparoscopic surgery