Do I need to take Op time off as Holiday??

[lucylou02]

Hi,

I'm due to have a bypass at St Richards Chichester in August on the NHS and am not sure if I have to take the time off as holiday or not.
My employeer gave me the impression she expected me to take it as holiday, not that I have much left!!
Do I need to speak to my GP or go to see GP before hand or am I entitled to any sick pay?

Thanks
Lucy x

 

[Mrs_CakeyBun]

Gosh thats a bit harsh of them isn't it.....im a bander so different amount of recoup time but i took mine as sick the Dr signed me off with "post operative recuperation" Would your Dr write a supporting letter for you saying that this operation is a medical requirement and not cosmetic surgery and he will be signing you off after surgery?
hopefully a by-passer with experience will be along in a minute.

 

[angelwings25]

Hi Lucy, i'm awaiting a date for the bypass at St Richards with Mr Somers, congrats on getting a date! How long did you have to wait? I am going to my psych appt tomorrow and am really REALLY nervous about it!! Anxiety is getting the better of me clearly
You shouldn't take holiday as its employment law that for any surgical/medical requirements undertaken you are entitled to however much time your company allows you. After that period of time you are then entitled to SSP and yes definitely get the surgeon/gp to write a letter to your employer. But you should def not take holiday, speak to Citizens Advice if they insist. I certainly wouldn't have enough hol left! Did they make you take hol for the initial appts? My manager was really nice about it and just told me to make the time up for my appts and as for the recovery time off its not a problem and not to worry about it. I wish every employer was like that! Sorry I just realised I was rambling!! Love Laura x

 

[lucylou02]

Thanks for the advice. I only had my first consultation on 1st May so haven't waited too long from that, It will be just over a year from initially going to see my GP about WLS.

I took my appointments as holiday as apart from my boss, no one else at work knows yet, I just wanted a confirmed date before I told anyone else, and also if i took it as holiday I just had the whole day off rather than going back to work after or working before.

I might make an appointment with my GP a little nearer the time and get some advice on what she is willing to do.

Thanks Everyone xx

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

when the nhs discharge you off the ward they will ask you if you need a sick note say yes to them, they will give you 2 weeks at least if you request it x

 

[thinkbethin]

I would have thought that having your op on the NHS you'd be able to get sick notes to cover you. Not 100% sure but worth a try. Your GP would'nt have applied for funding for cosmetic reasons but to make your health better as with any op. Good luck xxGaynorxx

 

[Spikeyjaycee]

I'm lucky in a way - work have known all along that I'm having this operation and that I'm likely to be off for up to 8 weeks (on full sick pay too!). Thing is they keep asking when it's going to be and I keep telling them....as soon as I know I WILL TELL YOU!!! i'm trying to sort proper cover out at the moment so I don't go back to a pile of work but I know it will be a mess when I do go back cos no-one knows exactly what I do - they just know it gets done!!!

 

[baby jayne]

My Freind had a bypass on NHS and the employers she works for tried to do that to her. She looked up her rights as a patient having an Operation and it seems that she was entitled to SSP from the goverment through her employer, think it's about £85 per week. Paying full or half pay is entirely up to your employer.
They can't sack you or not pay you SSP by law, so don't use your leave unless it's a problem receiving that low a wage each week.

Good luck

 

[easter chick]

Hi i had mine done at Dolan park and surgeon signed me off for 2 weeks .

 

[lucylou02]

Thanks everyone, I think I will stick my ground on not using my holiday. I think it maybe more that they have never had anyone have time for anything remotely like this in the past - some people see it as not a necessary operation dont they and that it is your choice perhaps it may be if it were private.

 

[noreenb]

My employers have been really good and I've booked mine as sick days. I'm pretty sure that you should be entitled to take the time off as sick. xxx

 

[DOVES]

Hi - I'm really interested in this. I work in HR and have been reading up on my company and other company's policies on sick pay. Without going into too much detail employers generally have 2 schemes - Occupational Sick Pay and Statutory Sick Pay. Occupational Sick Pay is the better out of the 2 as generally there will be Full Pay and Half Pay before moving on to Nill Pay. SSP is the govermnet amount which is currently £79.15.

Most employers policies have something around elective surgery and generally this is not classed as sick pay and no Occupational Sick Pay will be paid - you could be paid SSP but depending on your normal weekly wage you may be better off using holiday. If you are having the surgery on the NHS you could argue that it is not elective and therefore you would be paid.

If your employer's policy does not mention anything about elective surgery I would push for sick pay by advising you will have a medical certificate and that the operation is aimed at improving your health.

Unfortunatley as I know these rules I wasn't able to get round them - I am taking Holiday and Flexi days with a few Work from home days to cover me if I am not quite fit for work.

Generally is you require further time off as a complication this would be covered.

Hope this helps someone

Sam

 

[scaryariam]

Hi

My workplace will only pay SSP so i have not told anyone what i am doing, and luckily so far my hospital appointments have been on holidays which i already had planned (one in April and one this week). I dont plan on telling anyone at wor but as of yet i have not thought of a way round it so that i can get full pay without getting in trouble but as it may be 5-6 months before i have my op i still have time to work one out.