Info on Disability Pay

 FMLA seems to be interpretted differently by many employers. I believe the law requires you up to 12 weeks of UNPAID leave, but I could be wrong. Thus, if you had to exhaust say2 weeks of vacation time and 1 week of sick time (all the hours you have in your banks), only THEN would you be on FMLA.   Thus, you could theoretically be out for 15 weeks....and your disability would have kicked in after 60 days. 

How much time did you have in your banks before your surgery?

 I just looked up the definition of fmla.  It allows for 12 weeks of UNPAID leave. However, reading thru the Q&A, I see where employers can require you to deplete your banks while on leave, thus resulting in "paid" leave.  My employer never required that. 

 12 weeks of fmla equals your 60 day waiting period for disability. While you may only get 50% of your pay, it should guarantee a job for you when you are healthy enough to return to work. Hopefully, disability will be just a short term gig. Good luck!

 Marek:

I hope you're right, but I'm not sure if they'll bridge the FMLA with the disability...

Paul -

I feel for you - I really do. I was so very sick also after my surgery. I was sent back to work at after 3 weeks. Lord - I don't know how I did it. I was so sick even driving the 15 minutes to work.

Is there any chance you can work part-time at work and part-time at home? I know it will be a challenge. I used to throw up at work and run to the private bathroom at the nurses all the time. I couldn't eat and barely drink. I had no choice. The doctor wanted me back and work and in the swing of things. Sometimes I could only get through 1/2 day and would take vacation the other half or work from home.

As much as I read up and thought I was prepared for the DS - I never thought I'd be so sick for 6 months after. Hang in there - before you know it you will be back to your "new normal" self.

Hi Lisa!

I offered about three weeks ago to begin working from home--even if only part-time. My boss basically said that in order for me to effectively discharge my essential duties, I HAD to be in the office. I wanted to say...this is just temporary...I don't want to do this forever...but I didn't want to seem argumentative (as I've been accused of that before). I even told her that my doc would write the order for me to work from home. She's not at all interested in that scenario!

Now that I've had the second surgery to correct the "bad angle" in my stomach, I hope I'll fare much better than originally. The first positive that I can report is that I've not vomited once since the second surgery...doesn't mean I'm not sometimes still nauseas and weak, but at least it's staying down. My stomach still feels really bloated and I have almost a painful, nauseas growling stomach most of the time. On top of that, they "drilled" new holes to get into me for the second surgery that are very close to the original incisions. I'm certain that beneath the skin, they most probably tore through some scar tissue from the previous surgery. I've even had more pain this time around that the first!

To boot, the nurse ago scheduled me for the second surgery told me that this time around would be much easier and that I wouldn't even need to spend the night in the hospital. I want to SLAP her...not only did I spend two nights in the hospital, but I had an ng tube and a jp drain that's STILL in and I didn't even have these two things for the first surgery. I just feel like they totally misled me!

Sorry to be such a venter right now, but I don't have much of a release in any other way!

Paul

where I used to work(a large corporation)  they were allowed to give a couple months excused time before an employee out of the FMLA  benefits was terminated. Also any employee terminated for medical reasons was the first onewho had to be rehired once a doctor released you back to work. It depends on your HR policies or union or boss. I also noticed it wasnt always consistent and if you were well liked things were more favorable. I had my DS after retiring so personally I cant speak from current working experience. I recall however that state disability in CA kicked in what the sick benefits didnt for awhile. You wouldnt qualify for SSDI just based on the surgery as that is for a disabiilty lasting for more than a year minimal. I dealt with a lot of this type as a union steward but every company differs of course.