HR help

I'm having surgery soon and requested LOA from HR. they mailed me short term disability papers asking about my procedure. I don't want to discuss this with them. what do I do?

I just used PTO when I had surgery so that might be a simple option for you.  I took short term disability last March for 6 weeks to go to inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse.  I only had go tell HR I needed medical leave and they had me handle my claim directly with our short term disability insurance provider.  

Maybe you can just tell HR it's medical and that you want to handle the claim directly.  

Can you just write "abdominal surgery" as reason for absence? For all they'd know you'd be having your gallbladder out.

My understanding is that you must disclose to the insurance company covering STD, but not to your employer, unless they are self-insuring. This article: https://blogreedgroup.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/medical-absen ce-policies-dont-ask-why/ implies that this has not yet been settled in court. It likely depends on what state you live in since employment laws differ significantly.

Perhaps you can tell them that you are not comfortable disclosing your personal health information, but that you will be happy to provide a written statement from your doctor that you have a medical reason for the leave and when it will be safe for you to return to work.

In general, neither HR nor management are entitled to personal health information. That's why most large companies contract through an outside insurer. However, if they push the issue, there might be little you can do. If they give you crap, though, I'd recommend very politely telling them that you believe their position may be in error, and you will just double-check with the EEOC before you disclose. That alone may cause them to drop it.

Just listing having a "Procedure" should be suffice. 

My company self-insures for STD, and I still didn't have to tell HR why.  I had to request the leave and STD from my boss and HR, stating that I was having surgery (could have just said a medical procedure).  The disability person contacted me and I had to provide the information to him including permission to get information from my surgeon.  In my company the disability group is NOT allowed to provide any information to HR or anyone else other than the fact that they approved my STD, and when my return to work date was.

If you just want to take time off without jeopardizing your job and not get paid, then you don't have to tell them anything except that you're having surgery.  If you would like to be paid short-term disability while you are recovering (which is really nice, btw), then the insurance company wants to make sure you're not trying to get paid to get a face lift or something frivolous, so they are in their right to know why you're making a claim.

An alternative may be that you can call the insurance company seperately and apply on your own if you want to keep HR in the dark.

Im.self pay going to mexico. insurance isn't involved.

You mentioned short-term disability, though, so it sounds like HR is trying to see that your pay continues.  If you don't care about that, then stating "surgery" is usually plenty.

I'm an HR Manager.  I typically accept notes/forms doctors that indicated "surgery" without specifics (sometime I do need to know details). Surgery implies a serious health condition (the criteria I'm looking for for FMLA approvals).  

We do not use/offer STD though-- so I have no experience with what level of details they require.