Medical confidentiality in the workplace

[curiousnycgirl]

So I got a memo from the HR lady saying I am being placed on medical leave!

 

All this means is that your time off is being counted as sick days and you need a doctor's note to return. Stop calling it vacation time because it is not.

 

I'm not sure what that means. Does that come out of a different payment scheme? Like is vacation one thing to be paid for... and medical leave a different thing?

 

No it does not flip to a different pay scheme until it hits long term disability - at which point it is covered by insurance.

 

Just go with the note from your GP... and stop freaking out about this sht on a daily basis.

 

OMG well said!

 

You know medical leave they can do not so nice things to your job.

 

FMLA ( which I know you said you don't get yet ) would have protected your job.

 

So before you go on this leave , how is everything going with you and them ?

 

Otherwise , think about that ...

 

I know I would.

 

Why would you say such things - they are both completely invalid and not helpful. It has already been established 9 ways to sunday that she does not qualify for FMLA, and going on medical leave and getting a note from your doctor to return to work will not cause not so nice things to be done to your job. What kind of trouble are you trying to stir?

 

What's that mean? She said as long as I get a note from my doctor then it would be fine. Things are great with my supervisor and my job in general. I'm a good worker and they know that.

 

Ignore it!

 

Oh, okay. Well it's only 5 days and it will be all my vacation time so it won't be on their time at all. I would not have said anything if I knew this would be the result! Hopefully my doctor can protect my privacy.

 

OK enough of this drama - all this means is that your time off is being counted as sick days, stop calling it vacation time, and you need a doctor's note to return to work.

[Lauriebell82]

 

OK enough of this drama - all this means is that your time off is being counted as sick days, stop calling it vacation time, and you need a doctor's note to return to work.

 

No, it is medical leave. Under company policy it states that an employee must first exaust all PTO time (sick/vacation/holiday, it all comes from the same PTO bank), and then after that unpaid leave kicks in. In the memo she said I don't qualify for FMLA to protect me from the medical leave because I have not been there for 12 months...this is because I am taking more then 3 days off for a medical reason. I have to send her written notice requesting medical leave, and a note from my doctor stating the dates and reasons I am unable to work, and something from my doctor releasing me back to to work. Sounds like medical leave to me.

 

She said if it's more then 3 days she has to put me on medical leave. Maybe I can only take 3 days off...

 

Maybe I am being overparanoid, however after what happened at my last job, I am trying to protect myself.

[Art_Critic]

Maybe I am being overparanoid, however after what happened at my last job, I am trying to protect myself.

 

Yeah.. you are being a little over paranoid.. but they are making you follow policy and honestly it was you who mentioned that you were having a medical procedure done so protecting yourself should have started there..

 

Just go have your procedure done and follow policy..

If you are a valued asset to the company then absolutely nothing will happen...

 

Good Luck and heal fast....

[curiousnycgirl]

Either I am misunderstanding you or your organization does not follow the calendar year, or you are telling us that HR is breaking the policies, not sure which.

 

If your organization follows the calendar year, then in january there is no way you could have exhausted your PTO in January.

 

If all PTO are equal yet HR are putting you on medical leave (ie unpaid leave since you don't qualify for FMLA) then they are breaking the policy.

 

OR perhaps not all PTO are truly equal - as I said in my post. It is very kind that they lump them all together to use as you see like - frankly if people make huge fusses (like this), then at some point HR will simply perscribe how they can be used which in the end is a big fat pain in the butt.

 

So I guess the question at this point is whether or not you are going to get paid for the time off or not. Regardless you'll come back with a note from your doctor saying you are fine and that will be that.

[Lauriebell82]

Either I am misunderstanding you or your organization does not follow the calendar year, or you are telling us that HR is breaking the policies, not sure which.

 

If your organization follows the calendar year, then in january there is no way you could have exhausted your PTO in January.

 

If all PTO are equal yet HR are putting you on medical leave (ie unpaid leave since you don't qualify for FMLA) then they are breaking the policy.

 

OR perhaps not all PTO are truly equal - as I said in my post. It is very kind that they lump them all together to use as you see like - frankly if people make huge fusses (like this), then at some point HR will simply perscribe how they can be used which in the end is a big fat pain in the butt.

 

So I guess the question at this point is whether or not you are going to get paid for the time off or not. Regardless you'll come back with a note from your doctor saying you are fine and that will be that.

 

PTO accrues every month and carries over. So I accrued 2 1/2 days in November and 2 1/2 in December, which will carry over to January. I did speak with HR lady regarding the issue and she reassured me (as all of you did, which I appreciate! ) that my job would be fine, that they do this all the time. I will be paid for the time off because it is my accrued PTO that I'm taking and it's only 5 days. She said they never fire anyone without telling them while they are on medical leave, now if I were to continue to be off work for like 2 months then they would question what was going on and call me to try and get me to come back to work. But she said since this isn't the case with this, everything should be fine and that I shouldn't worry.

 

I know you all told me this and I appreciate it. I know I am being very worried, but as I said, getting let go from my last job was the worst thing that has ever happened to me and I don't want a repeat of all that pain.

[Got it]

I am in HR, we have a specific form that we sent to the doctor's that details what physically active the employee can and cannot do so we would never receive letterhead from the doctor.

 

Also, we would allow an employee to go "into the hole" and take an advancement on their PTO as they would be accruing it later in the year. The stipulation is if they were to quit they would pay it back at that time.

 

I didn't read this complete so not sure if you qualify for FMLA but if you do I would notify HR so you are protected as it really is for your benefit. But if you do not, then you are taking a small leave of absence and will take your PTO so it is paid.

 

If you communicate to HR that you do not want the specific reason why you are taking leave you don't have to disclose it and your HR department should respect that and help to keep it confidential.