Annual leave or sick leave

[SmallTits101 0]

I'm planning on having a breast augmentation early next year. My work/boss is a bit unpredictable and im stuck on what to do. I'm tossing up between taking annual leave and sick leave to have my augmentation but i dont know what one to take as they both can back fire and not work. I don't want to take sick leave and have to tell them why I'm taking it for two weeks and then have to prove it by giving them a doctors certificate because i don't want everyone at work to know. I don't want to take annual leave beacuse i don't want to not get approved for it and then i can't have surgery because i can't get time off work. Someone please help a girl out and tell what one you think i should take and what will actually work. I'm so stuck and nervous on what to say and what type of leave to take as i want to make sure that i 100% get time off. I work in child care and i neeeeed to have the two weeks off, please help me.

[LaurenT 755]

I personally took annual leave. That way no questions were asked and I didn’t have to try and get a doctors certificate for the two weeks. I also like to keep my sick leave for when I really need it. You never know what’s around the corner.

[I HaveBoobs 951]

I took annual leave for my Hairdressing job to have my BA, that way i didnt have to tell everyone i was having my boobs done, but i had to come clean with my PT job as i needed 6 weeks off from teaching my fitness classes but my boss was pretty understanding as 5 other girls at our center have all had their boobs done.

[sabP 750]

It's really up to you hun... if you take sick leave, you do not have to specify what for - you can tell them the basics i.e. you need elective surgery but they have no right to ask you what for - it's against the law. Tell them it's personal and leave it at that, your surgeon can write you a certificate outlining you are undergoing elective surgery and require XX amount of days off work. I understand your concern re annual leave, in case it is not approved, that would be unbearably stressful.

[Tori14 57]

Totally depends on your own personal and work situation! I'm personally taking sick leave - I have never taken a sick day in the 2 years I have been at my current work place while everyone else takes sick days all the time, so I feel like it's about time I actually used it as the 10 sick days don't carry over to the next year like annual leave if you don't use them! And I would rather save my annual leave for more fun things but that's just me.

You totally don't have to tell your work what you're getting done - I just told my boss that I've been to the doctor recently and found out I need to have some surgery later in the year, and that my doctor has informed I'll be unfit for work for 2 weeks after. My boss was totally cool about it - @sabP is right, they legally can't ask you what it is, all you need is a doctor's certificate which my surgeon is providing himself, just stating very generally that I'm having surgery and need 2 weeks off work.

I'm sure either way if you give them enough notice that you'll get the time off Good luck!!

[LaurenT 755]

4 hours ago, Tori14 said:

Totally depends on your own personal and work situation! I'm personally taking sick leave - I have never taken a sick day in the 2 years I have been at my current work place while everyone else takes sick days all the time, so I feel like it's about time I actually used it as the 10 sick days don't carry over to the next year like annual leave if you don't use them! And I would rather save my annual leave for more fun things but that's just me.

You totally don't have to tell your work what you're getting done - I just told my boss that I've been to the doctor recently and found out I need to have some surgery later in the year, and that my doctor has informed I'll be unfit for work for 2 weeks after. My boss was totally cool about it - @sabP is right, they legally can't ask you what it is, all you need is a doctor's certificate which my surgeon is providing himself, just stating very generally that I'm having surgery and need 2 weeks off work.

I'm sure either way if you give them enough notice that you'll get the time off Good luck!!

I didn’t realise that in some businesses sick leave didn’t roll over. That sucks ?

[Tori14 57]

@LaurenT yeah would be awesome if it did! I would have so much accrued! Because it doesn't roll over, what some people end up doing is if they haven't used their sick leave towards the end of the year, they are 'sick' quite frequently to use it up before the year is out ?? I'm too goody goody to do that though ?

[LaurenT 755]

9 hours ago, Tori14 said:

@LaurenT yeah would be awesome if it did! I would have so much accrued! Because it doesn't roll over, what some people end up doing is if they haven't used their sick leave towards the end of the year, they are 'sick' quite frequently to use it up before the year is out ?? I'm too goody goody to do that though ?

Hahaha well that’s understandable for people to do it. I don’t think I could do it either though ?

[Moderator 511]

Your surgeon will provide you with a medical certificate and you can take your recovery time as sick leave - you dont have to explain to your employer that you are having surgery.

[LaurenT 755]

2 hours ago, Moderator said:

Your surgeon will provide you with a medical certificate and you can take your recovery time as sick leave - you dont have to explain to your employer that you are having surgery.

I got a certificate from my surgeon, problem was it had the plastic surgery clinic on it and his name as a plastic surgeon. I didn’t want anyone to know I had plastic surgery, personally. I also didn’t want to ask my GP for one and have to explain. I’m just that kind of person.

[Moderator 511]

1 hour ago, LaurenT said:

I got a certificate from my surgeon, problem was it had the plastic surgery clinic on it and his name as a plastic surgeon. I didn’t want anyone to know I had plastic surgery, personally. I also didn’t want to ask my GP for one and have to explain. I’m just that kind of person.

Thats understandable - I was actually given my certificate from the anaesthetist so no issues there - I am sure they deal with this all the time

[cm29 58]

I had to take annual leave as my workplace wouldn’t accept sick leave because it’s not a medical emergency surgery it’s considered an elective surgery. I returned to work after 2 weeks on “light duties” which in my job doesn’t exist being a childcare teacher but all the other girls helped me out with everything I wasn’t allowed to do.

On 8/10/2023 at 7:57 PM, SmallTits101 said:

I'm planning on having a breast augmentation early next year. My work/boss is a bit unpredictable and im stuck on what to do. I'm tossing up between taking annual leave and sick leave to have my augmentation but i dont know what one to take as they both can back fire and not work. I don't want to take sick leave and have to tell them why I'm taking it for two weeks and then have to prove it by giving them a doctors certificate because i don't want everyone at work to know. I don't want to take annual leave beacuse i don't want to not get approved for it and then i can't have surgery because i can't get time off work. Someone please help a girl out and tell what one you think i should take and what will actually work. I'm so stuck and nervous on what to say and what type of leave to take as i want to make sure that i 100% get time off. I work in child care and i neeeeed to have the two weeks off, please help me.

I work in childcare too. Best thing I did was tell my boss because even going back after two weeks I couldn’t do hardly anything, I wasn’t allowed to lift more than 3-5kg for 6 weeks p/o so that limited me big time. Couldn’t lift children off parents and even had to say to the parents sorry I’ve had a medical procedure and I’m unable to lift I’ll get another educator to help you. I couldn’t set up yards, beds or any of that stuff it was also a struggle for me to do the cleaning because I couldn’t lift mop buckets and the side to side movement of mopping was punish and vacuum too, it really hurt to vacuum you don’t realise how much your pectoral muscles engage with every day to day activity. they are still really tender after 2 weeks. I couldn’t really reach my arms up at all either so i had to get colleagues to reach up on high shelves and cupboards to get things down for me. Also getting up and down off the ground was hard, when patting kids at rest time because your not allowed to use your arms to push yourself up while the implant is settling into the capsule.

The people I work with made it so much easier because they new what I had been through, helped me out up until the 6 week mark. Plus I felt comfortable because I work with all females and we all get along well. But it just made it easier when I told my boss that I have decided to take on elective surgery and will need two weeks time off to recover and then they had to approve it because I was booked in for a surgery.

Goodluck x

[Tori14 57]

I was about to say the same thing as @2shea, I looked into this a lot and I think legally if you are unfit for work you are entitled to use your sick/personal leave elective or not! From what I gathered, the day of the surgery because it is elective you may need to take annual leave for that day, so if you were having a day procedure with no recovery period needed (still able to work) then it would be 1 day annual leave. However, with a BA, definitely not fit for work afterwards so should definitely be entitled for sick leave! Not sure if I have explained this correctly so hope it makes sense ?

[Aljen 88]

I took sick leave for both of my breast augmentation surgeries. The view I have is that I am entitled to sick leave and I was unfit to perform my working duties during that two week period, I work as a nurse in the operating theatre. I have the discussion via email (I always like to have discussions like this in writing) and basically said that I am undergoing surgery on such and such date and as directed by my surgeon, will need to take the following two weeks of on sick leave as I will be unfit to perform my duties. They're not legally allowed to ask you what procedure you're having and if you have a valid medical certificate they're not allowed to refuse sick leave.

Plastic surgeons don't just perform cosmetic surgeries, they perform all kinds of corrective and reconstructive surgery as well. For example you could have had skin lesions removed from your back for all anyone knows...so having a surgeons name on the medical certificate doesn't automatically mean your workplace will know what procedure you have had.

Good luck!

[cm29 58]

20 hours ago, 2shea said:

Is that even legal? Illness or injury in the context of personal leave isn't what people think it is. If you are unable to work due to having elective surgery you are entitled to personal leave. I had eyelid surgery, entirely elective, I had one week personal leave (could have been two I can't remember).

If your surgery was fairly recent I would be contacting fairwork australia or your union to ensure the annual leave is reversed and personal leave used.

This covers of on elective surgery:

http://workplaceohs.com.au/legislation/employment-workplace-relations/q-a/can-personal-leave-be-used-for-medical-appointments#.W2_8HugzbIU

This is a bit older but still the same:

http://career-advice.careerone.com.au/in-the-workplace/workplace-issues/sick-leave-or-annual-leave-20090729/article.aspx

It also ties in with this:

https://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/sick-and-carers-leave/paid-sick-and-carers-leave/notice-and-medical-certificates

Attending medical appointments and elective surgery

Medical appointments and elective surgeries that are pre-arranged can only be covered by sick leave if an employee is not able to work because of a personal illness or injury. It will depend on each individual circumstance.

An employer can ask for evidence from an employee to confirm that they were unfit for work. This can help decide if an employee should be paid sick leave or be paid a different type of leave or entitlement.

Yeah it’s up to employers discression my mum works for fair work and she told me the same thing.

Especially because it was an elective surgery that wasn’t beneficial to my health I guess. Say like if I was having a reduction I could’ve taken personal leave because it could be giving me back problems. But it’s up to the employees discression if they class it as sick or annual

20 hours ago, 2shea said:

Is that even legal? Illness or injury in the context of personal leave isn't what people think it is. If you are unable to work due to having elective surgery you are entitled to personal leave. I had eyelid surgery, entirely elective, I had one week personal leave (could have been two I can't remember).

If your surgery was fairly recent I would be contacting fairwork australia or your union to ensure the annual leave is reversed and personal leave used.

This covers of on elective surgery:

http://workplaceohs.com.au/legislation/employment-workplace-relations/q-a/can-personal-leave-be-used-for-medical-appointments#.W2_8HugzbIU

This is a bit older but still the same:

http://career-advice.careerone.com.au/in-the-workplace/workplace-issues/sick-leave-or-annual-leave-20090729/article.aspx

It also ties in with this:

https://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/sick-and-carers-leave/paid-sick-and-carers-leave/notice-and-medical-certificates

Attending medical appointments and elective surgery

Medical appointments and elective surgeries that are pre-arranged can only be covered by sick leave if an employee is not able to work because of a personal illness or injury. It will depend on each individual circumstance.

An employer can ask for evidence from an employee to confirm that they were unfit for work. This can help decide if an employee should be paid sick leave or be paid a different type of leave or entitlement.

To add onto that fair work states that notice of personal leave because you weren’t able to work because of ‘illness or injury’ but because I had planned to undertake cosmetic surgery that wasn’t covered

[SmallTits101 0]

On 8/12/2023 at 7:39 PM, Tori14 said:

I was about to say the same thing as @2shea, I looked into this a lot and I think legally if you are unfit for work you are entitled to use your sick/personal leave elective or not! From what I gathered, the day of the surgery because it is elective you may need to take annual leave for that day, so if you were having a day procedure with no recovery period needed (still able to work) then it would be 1 day annual leave. However, with a BA, definitely not fit for work afterwards so should definitely be entitled for sick leave! Not sure if I have explained this correctly so hope it makes sense ?

Yeah that makes sense. Im just worried because someone from work is having surgery that they need to have and my boss, well he owns part of my workplace but hes the one that approves annual leave and everything as well, but he told the person at my work who needs to have surgery that she needs to bring in a doctors certificate to prove that she needs to have surgery and the amount of time she'll need to have off work before he can approve her annual leave for her time off. To me thats a bit messed up and he shouldnt of done that but with him doing that, it's made me think about not even considering telling them anything or applying for sick leave/personal leave purely because i dont want to go through all the drama of getting doctors certificates and them possibly finding out what im doing. I really would like to apply for annual leave but the pickle that im still in is, ill be applying to have roughly 2-3 weeks off when ive accumulated enough hours but im still scared that it wont get approved. Im not sure if its a requirement when applying for any sort of leave to have a reason for why youre taking annual leave for but i always do, in saying that i dont know what id write down for my reason why im taking 2-3 weeks off for. I was thinking of just saying that im going on a family holiday overseas or something but i want to make sure that it'll 100% get approved because ill have to secure my surgery date before i apply for annual leave and ill need to apply for annual leave so it fits in with when i have surgery.

I was considering taking peesonal leave as it fits in perfectly with what my situation will be after i get it done but after reading this little bit below i wouldnt be approved for personal leave would i?

14 hours ago, cm29 said:

To add onto that fair work states that notice of personal leave because you weren’t able to work because of ‘illness or injury’ but because I had planned to undertake cosmetic surgery that wasn’t covered.

[RubyJadeDiamond 43]

I took my leave off as sick leave. I was actually going to take it as annual leave when my boss insisted that I put it through as sick leave(she was very on board and supportive).

I told HR that I was having surgery. They're really not entitled to ask you the nature of your surgery, as far as I'm aware. In terms of my medical certificate, my surgeon wrote that I was having a surgical procedure and was unfit to complete my duties in the specified days. That's all he wrote. Usually they dont specify on your certificate what your surgery is for, and if you wanted to be discrete I'm sure you could ask them to keep it generic.

[LaurenT 755]

55 minutes ago, RubyJadeDiamond said:

I took my leave off as sick leave. I was actually going to take it as annual leave when my boss insisted that I put it through as sick leave(she was very on board and supportive).

I told HR that I was having surgery. They're really not entitled to ask you the nature of your surgery, as far as I'm aware. In terms of my medical certificate, my surgeon wrote that I was having a surgical procedure and was unfit to complete my duties in the specified days. That's all he wrote. Usually they dont specify on your certificate what your surgery is for, and if you wanted to be discrete I'm sure you could ask them to keep it generic.

All medical certificates are generic and discrete as far as I’m aware. I just personally didn’t want to use one from my plastic surgery as it says which plastic surgery clinic and has the surgeons name on it. Yes, it could have been any procedure and your work would not be able to ask what you had done but I didn’t want people’s imagination running wild ?