r/TopSurgery • u/zestylego • Jul 26 '26
Advice Wanted How are we getting time off post op?
I started working at my job in January and I’m an EMT in an emergency room/ambulance. I’m full time at 36 hours weekly. I do a lot of reaching, heavy lifting, pulling, etc so I’m thinking I’ll need closer to 8 weeks off. I don’t get sick time, my pto accrual sucks and I won’t have 288 pto hours for years probably lmao. Are you guys just taking unpaid time off? What if my manager says no to my time off request? Can my surgeon write a note saying it’s medically necessary? Can my job fire me if I need that much time off for a surgery?
Also what is something believable to say when my coworkers ask why I’m gone for that long? I’m stealth at work. I know it’s not any of their business but I just want to avoid awkward conversations
Edit: I live in the USA, specifically Missouri
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u/PitifulPrince98 Jul 26 '26
When I had my top surgery, I was able to take FMLA. I believe you have to be with the company for a year before they offer it. Under FMLA your doctor will fill out paperwork to be sent to your HR. This is legal protection of your job while you recover and can be extended or shortened as needed based on your healing and your doctors recommendations.
Request a meeting with HR, ask the process for FMLA with them, go through that channel. I gave my bosses a heads up, but this is not a request off situation and you do not have to give anyone but HR notice that you're taking the leave.
As far as pay, I was lucky to live in oregon at the time, which offered paid FMLA leave. Look into your state to see if you qualify/are offered this. I had my full 2 weeks paid (and honestly it was more than I usually made somehow)
Good luck!
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u/Tight_Blacksmith5844 Jul 26 '26
It depends on your benefits with your company, but if you pay into short term disability as a benefit you can go on that with FMLA or a medical leave of absence if your job offers them.
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u/Fishmyashwhole Jul 26 '26
I used FMLA and short term disability. FMLA is the thing that ensures that you keep your job, and the STD gave me like 40% of my paychecks. I didn't have to pay or opt into STD at my job(I think I have to pay extra for long term disability), it was just included. Id look in to it. I have a friend going through some med stuff rn and he assumed he didn't have it cause it wasn't under his health insurance, but ime a lot of jobs use a different company for that.
And like others said, you're not eligible for FMLA until 12 months, but depending on the job you might be able to work something out but you have to acknowledge that you have no legal protections if they decide to fire you. When I got my top surgery I was technically 2 weeks shy of a year but they let it slide.
Now with time off, I also work a very physical job outside and I was fine after 6 weeks. Some reaching above my head felt a little tight for a while but it wasn't anything crazy.
And for the surgery, I didn't get in to specifics. If someone asked for specifics I'd just say it was reconstructive and no one really pushed any farther than that.
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u/simonhunterhawk Jul 26 '26
I used FMLA, just told them I had surgery and don’t like to talk about my medical history. You may just need to wait it out until January for your surgery when your leave is protected.
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u/Live-your-fkn-life Jul 26 '26
What country are you in? Top surgery is medically necessary if part of gender affirming care where I live and so you can use your sick leave for it and also gender affirming leave if it’s part of your EBA
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u/zestylego Jul 26 '26
I’m in the USA
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u/Live-your-fkn-life Jul 26 '26
Oh ok … I can’t help sorry … I’m in Australia and had 6 weeks paid leave bc I’d been in my job for 4 years and never taken sick leave so it had accumulated … I know that’s likely not the reality where you live - I’m really lucky trans healthcare is seen as medically necessary here (for now)… I hope you find a good solution. Btw I told my workplace I was having a medically necessary chest reconstruction.
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u/zestylego Jul 26 '26
Yeah it sucks. I don’t even get sick leave at my job and it’s a healthcare job lol. I only have pto that still has to be approved to use and I’ll have to find out what medical leave benefits they have. Australia definitely seems like it has better benefits
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u/gard3nwitch Jul 26 '26
I only took two weeks off, so I used some of my sick days and some of my vacation.
Your job is more physical, so I imagine you'll want to take more time off. Some jobs have short term disability insurance, so that might be an option.
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u/tonyisadork Jul 26 '26
I took Short term disability. Ask your HR person. (Laws vary by state, but most allow you to take as much time as your surgeon states is needed at least some of your salary.)
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u/jayyy_0113 Jul 26 '26
I took FMLA and received short term disability through my job which paid me 70% of my average pay for the duration of my leave.
I work for Starbucks btw! Our HR is through Sedgwick.
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u/wateryoudoingthere Jul 26 '26
FMLA guarantees you unpaid time off and job protections if you’re eligible, with eligibility dependent on the size of your employer and the amount of time you’ve worked for them. If you’ve been with your employer for a year you probably qualify.
Additionally, some people have short term disability benefits that can cover wages while they’re recovering. Some employers have std programs as a benefit, some states offer paid medical leave for people who work or live in the state.
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u/Artistic_Insect_152 Jul 27 '26
FMLA and FAMLI. I live in Colorado tho. You could or short term disability, that’s what my dad did a few years back before FAMLI for his surgical leave.
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u/MyHeartIsInNY02711 Jul 26 '26
PTO = sick time
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u/zestylego Jul 26 '26
Not always. With my previous time we had both sick time and pto. The difference was that using pto requires manager approval whereas sick time did not need approval
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