FLMA How/When to notify your employer

[thingirlinsideme 5]

I've been scheduled for August (YAY), I am planning on taking 4 weeks just to make sure I am ready.

How soon did you notify your employer that you were going to be gone? Once you received your date, how soon did you fill out FMLA paperwork?

I'd like to hear people's experiences with this. I'm about 40 days before surgery and I'm wondering how soon I need to act.

Thanks!

[BrownEyedTxGirl 139]

Hopefully my surgery will be in August (still waiting to confirm) but I have already reached out to my HR Director. They sent me all the paperwork and asked me to return it in 15 business days but that may just be our company policy. I also had a form that had to be sent to my doctors office to complete and they have to fill it out and send it directly back to my HR.

I only plan on taking 5 - 7 days off unless something happens and there are complications. I personally know quite a few people that have had lapband, sleeve and bypass and no one took more than two weeks. Even my sister who had the bypass said she was fine within a week (and she is a nurse...no desk job). But everyone is different!

[jane13 2,256]

I was like browneyedtxgirl. my company wanted paperwork submitted .....I didn't want everyone to know. I took Wednesday the day of surgery off and thru the week following. I was afraid of of being told I couldn't come back because of lifting requirements at work. my younger coworker said he had it and not to worry he would cover it....I never filled out the paperwork. I had it ready but never submitted it. I also got a letter stating I could return to full duties. never missed a beat. my job is a desk job but it can be physical.

[hockeyfan7 249]

My husband took FMLA for 2 weeks to be home with me. He submitted paperwork about a month in advance because the surgeon's office had to fill out a bunch of it and they aren't fast at it. Then it had to go to the FLMA company his company uses to be approved. We didn't have any problems but it took about 3 1/2 weeks all in.

I didn't have to do FMLA for my job but he did just to be safe. His job is so different from mine.

[thingirlinsideme 5]

My thinking is that I wanted to be able to tolerate eating solid foods before I go back to work. I too am a nurse and I don't want to feel week or have an issue with nausea while stuck in a case for several hours at a time. I really hope 3 weeks is enough time.

[dhrguru 1,238]

I've been scheduled for August (YAY), I am planning on taking 4 weeks just to make sure I am ready.

How soon did you notify your employer that you were going to be gone? Once you received your date, how soon did you fill out FMLA paperwork?

I'd like to hear people's experiences with this. I'm about 40 days before surgery and I'm wondering how soon I need to act.

Thanks!

I'd submit the paperwork now.

My job charges FMLA automatically after 4 consecutive days absent. Considering I filled had the doctor fill out the paperwork. (I also happen to be the HR manager, so no worry about confidentiality for me).

[zonetracy 53]

At my job if you know you're going to be on leave you can submit paperwork up to 30 days before you're going to be out and i had until 20 days post surgery to have it submitted. I took my paperwork with me to my pre op appointment 1 week before surgery. They said they don't like to release to work until they see you for your first post op appt, which will be at 3 weeks post op. They submitted the forms within a couple days and had to also submit a confirmation of surgery form once the procedure was done. They want to make sure you actually had it done if the paperwork was submitted before hand. So ultimately i will have been off for 3 weeks and a few days as long as they release me to work on 7/2 i'm sure they will as i'm feeling pretty good.

[BizzyB 119]

I wish I would have done mine a little further ahead of time. My boss knew I planned to be out for a couple weeks but I didn't actually begin the process until like 4 days before the surgery. I used short term and FLMA. They called me that day after surgery letting me know it was approved... though it wasn't much of a big deal because I had to use 5 pto days before it kicked in. Bit I'd start the process ahead of time so you know in advance that it is approved. Don't be a procrastinator like me!

[no onions 258]

I requested the FMLA paperwork from HR as soon as I knew my surgery date. This gave me about 3.5 weeks to get everything approved. I am taking at least 4 weeks off. Tomorrow I will be 10 days into my leave.

I can go up to 6 weeks and continue to be paid, but I would like to save some PTO time in case I need it for something fun. :-)

[Bubbletoes 124]

I scheduled my time off with my employer first because of coverage concerns and then had my surgeon fill out my FMLA paperwork a couple of weeks before my surgery. (They charged me $5 to fill it out and fax it and $5 to complete my release for work paperwork! Talk about nickel and diming me to death!) Anyway I had 6 weeks of sick time in my bank but only took 3 weeks. The day I went back I wished I had taken another week off, so I think you have the right idea. It's nice to feel great when you go back to work and feel you have a handle on what you'll be eating.