Got my date, but employer will not approve time off

true2me.2011
on 8/18/11 1:34 pm - OH

I went to work yesterday and requested time off from my employer. I am still in my probationary period. My employer says that because too many people have requested time off that I can take off any other weeks accept August 23-September 6) the week that my surgery was scheduled for.

They know that I had been planning to have an important precedure and the response was still no any other week but the week that my surgery is scheduled. sooooo I asked the surgeon's office to give me a new date and they did. The new date was supposed to buy me a couple of weeks, but instead it only bought me another week. Now my date is August 29th instead of August 24 and my employer is still going to say no.

I am so scared to ask the surgeon for another date, because they have tried twice now to provide me with the soonest date possible. If I do not take this date, they could possible give me a new date, but it could be months away.

I do not want to defy my employer, because I might come back to work and not have a job.

Decisions. Decisions.

mimijo
on 8/18/11 1:36 pm

RNY on 12/07/11

Surgeons.offices are used to dealing with scheduling conflicts and finding times that work in peoples lives. Just explain the cir****tances, they always have other surgery days! I would not risk my job if it was important to me. It did not take us all overight to get to this point, so a little longer wait is not that bad. I know you are sooooo anxious like I am. But.... I would not risk my livelyhood for a few weeks.

Hang in there!

poet_kelly
on 8/18/11 1:43 pm - OH

RNY on 11/04/08

I don't see why the surgeon's office would care about changing the date so you don't lose your job. when you call, though, make sure you tell them what weeks you cannot do it so they don't keep giving you new dates that still dont' work for you.

Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.

Cicerogirl, The PhD
Version
on 8/18/11 1:45 pm - OH

RNY on 08/27/07

Since your surgeon's schedule was open enough that they were able to move your surgery date one week out already, it is highly unlikely that if you explain the situation and ask for a later date that they will have to move it out MONTHS away... they will likely be able to move it out just by a few weeks.

Lora

14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained

You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

true2me.2011
on 8/18/11 2:13 pm - OH

RNY on 09/07/11

Rita,

Your responses always make me think in a more level headed manner. Thank you.

Kelley,

I know. Changing the date shouldn't be a huge deal. However, when I said to her "do I absolutely have to take this date?" Her response was, "Yes. This is the best date available. You have to take it." I felt like if I did not take it that she would then give me a crappier date that would have me waiting months.

Mimijo,

You are right. I am the customer and the surgeon gets paid and increases their reputation of success only if I schedule to have a precedure. Thanks for the giving me a stronger back bone.

Cicerogirl, The PhD
Version
on 8/18/11 11:42 pm - OH

RNY on 08/27/07

Usually, though, people want surgery as soon as possible, so when she said it was "the best date available", she probably meant it was the soonest date avaialble that was further out than the date you already had. Be more specific when you talk to them. Tell them what the earliest date is that you can get time off work. If the new date DOES happen to be a couple of months out, though, then I guess you are stuck with that if you absolutely cannot get off work for the currently scheduled date. No point in fretting about it, though, since you cannot DO anything about it.

Lora

14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained

You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

2nd_Chance_Chick
on 8/18/11 2:26 pm

RNY on 08/25/11

Fmla protects u under probation doesnt it? I know someone that works in retail and fmla when she was there only 4 weeks. It saved her job and her doc put something in writing that her surgery was urgent.

I know what i'm doing,I have it all planned-plans to give you the future you hope for.Jeremiah 29:11(The Message)
With God's Will, I was approved!

poet_kelly
on 8/18/11 3:19 pm - OH

RNY on 11/04/08

In order to qualify for FMLA you must have worked for your employer for at least one year and must have worked 1250 hours during the last 12 months. The person you know would not have gotten FMLA if she'd only worked there for four weeks. Her empmloyer may have agreed to let her miss work for her urgent surgery, but she was not covered by FMLA.

Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.

2nd_Chance_Chick
on 8/18/11 9:21 pm

RNY on 08/25/11

On August 18, 2011 at 10:19 PM Pacific Time, poet_kelly wrote:

In order to qualify for FMLA you must have worked for your employer for at least one year and must have worked 1250 hours during the last 12 months. The person you know would not have gotten FMLA if she'd only worked there for four weeks. Her empmloyer may have agreed to let her miss work for her urgent surgery, but she was not covered by FMLA.

Hi kelly and thanks but...what I stated is accurate about my friend. I was with her and she was covered. Thanks.

I know what i'm doing,I have it all planned-plans to give you the future you hope for.Jeremiah 29:11(The Message)
With God's Will, I was approved!

Cicerogirl, The PhD
Version
on 8/18/11 11:38 pm - OH

RNY on 08/27/07

She must have been covered under some policy that her employer offers by choice, then (rather than under FMLA), because what Kelly stated about the FMLA law is correct.

For anyone who is not aware, BTW, the required FMLA leave (which only applies to companies with a certain number of employees) is unpaid leave. For paid time off, you will have to use some kind fo sick time or shprt-term disability plan that your employer has.

Lora

14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained

You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

Got my date, but employer will not approve time off

Our Mission

Follow us

Links

Select Photos

Got my date, but employer will not approve time off