FMLA

[Guest guest]

Has anyone's employer requested or has anyone on their own without

employer prompting done FMLA leading up to their myo's. My supervisor

has been wondering in understanding the pain I've been enduring and

the many dr's appointments with no clear plan up until recently...but

she is requesting that I file FMLA paperwork so she can cover me in

terms exempting me this review year from productivity/state mandated

performance contract billable hours (I'm a social worker for a local

gov't..everything has to be billable).

Although I know at this point that surgery is imminent, I don't have

a date for when I'll be out at this point b/c I am still back and

forth to the dr.

Any advice or old posts that I could be directed to?

Thanks! This board is SO informative!

Kim

[Guest guest]

Kim,

FMLA worked very well for me. Your employer can give you a copy of the

specifics. Basically you can take up to 12 weeks and it does not have to be

taken

consecutively. It ensures that you will not lose your job as a result of an

illness. I think in most companies you have to exhaust all of your vacation

time as well. It is a worthwhile benefit. Keep in mind if you end up having

surgery the recovery can be anywhere from 6-8 weeks depending on how you feel.

I would recommend you investigate this option with your employer. Good luck, L

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim,

I was told by our HR Dept to fill out the FMLA paperwork even though

I have enough Sick/vacation time to coverr the 4 weeks I'm taking off

for my upcoming Myo. The reasoning in " in case " something happens,

like I need to be out longer, etc. This way the paperwork is all in

place and I will still be covered by Insurance. I work at a state

University so maybe that's just a state employee thing.

I hope that helps.

> Has anyone's employer requested or has anyone on their own without

> employer prompting done FMLA leading up to their myo's. My

supervisor

> has been wondering in understanding the pain I've been enduring and

> the many dr's appointments with no clear plan up until

recently...but

> she is requesting that I file FMLA paperwork so she can cover me in

> terms exempting me this review year from productivity/state

mandated

> performance contract billable hours (I'm a social worker for a

local

> gov't..everything has to be billable).

>

> Although I know at this point that surgery is imminent, I don't

have

> a date for when I'll be out at this point b/c I am still back and

> forth to the dr.

>

> Any advice or old posts that I could be directed to?

>

> Thanks! This board is SO informative!

>

> Kim

[Guest guest]

It won't do any good to fill out the paperwork until

you have the date of your surgery. That is one of the

first questions on the questionaire. Also if you want

to use up sick time etc first you have to. I was

forced to use all my vacation time etc first and they

ran it concurrent to the FMLA. If you have nothing

left they cannot make you use paid time off first as

my HR explained it to me.

For my first surgery last year they did the same

thing. counted my vacation and holidays as FMLA so I

had to schedule my second surgery partially in the

next fiscal year.

But since it asks for the start date you will be off

you need to wait until you have a day. Also it will

ask for a date to return. Wneh you fill it out

estimate high. In case you know.

e

[Guest guest]

FMLA didn't apply to me when I had my myo because I work for a

company that has fewer than 50 employees and therefore doesn't need

to observe FMLA. Fortunately, my company did give me partial pay for

6 of the weeks that I was out on my maternity leave the same year as

the myo. They didn't pay me for the two weeks I took off after the

myo, as I had already used up my available leave. My company, which

is small, is very casual about paperwork, so the only " paperwork " I

had to fill out before my maternity leave and my subsequent myo was

an e-mail message to my supervisor telling him the dates I expected

to be out on leave. He knew that I couldn't predict exactly when the

baby would arrive, so he didn't hold me to the anticipated start date

for the maternity leave. (Heh. Good thing, since DD was 16 days

late!) At least the myo date was predictable

Here are some FMLA resources that might be helpful:

U.S. Dept. of Labor's Compliance Assistance-Family and Medical Leave

Act (FMLA)

http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/

Certification of Health Care Provider form (a form your care provider

fills out to certify that you are eligible for FMLA leave):

http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/fmla/wh380.pdf

U.S. Government's Office of Personnel Management Family and Medical

Leave info:

http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/HTML/fmlafac2.asp

Cheryl

> Has anyone's employer requested or has anyone on their own without

> employer prompting done FMLA leading up to their myo's. My

supervisor

> has been wondering in understanding the pain I've been enduring and

> the many dr's appointments with no clear plan up until

recently...but

> she is requesting that I file FMLA paperwork so she can cover me in

> terms exempting me this review year from productivity/state

mandated

> performance contract billable hours (I'm a social worker for a

local

> gov't..everything has to be billable).

>

> Although I know at this point that surgery is imminent, I don't

have

> a date for when I'll be out at this point b/c I am still back and

> forth to the dr.

>

> Any advice or old posts that I could be directed to?

[Guest guest]

FMLA didn't apply to me when I had my myo because I work for a

company that has fewer than 50 employees and therefore doesn't need

to observe FMLA. Fortunately, my company did give me partial pay for

6 of the weeks that I was out on my maternity leave the same year as

the myo. They didn't pay me for the two weeks I took off after the

myo, as I had already used up my available leave. My company, which

is small, is very casual about paperwork, so the only " paperwork " I

had to fill out before my maternity leave and my subsequent myo was

an e-mail message to my supervisor telling him the dates I expected

to be out on leave. He knew that I couldn't predict exactly when the

baby would arrive, so he didn't hold me to the anticipated start date

for the maternity leave. (Heh. Good thing, since DD was 16 days

late!) At least the myo date was predictable

Here are some FMLA resources that might be helpful:

U.S. Dept. of Labor's Compliance Assistance-Family and Medical Leave

Act (FMLA)

http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/

Certification of Health Care Provider form (a form your care provider

fills out to certify that you are eligible for FMLA leave):

http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/fmla/wh380.pdf

U.S. Government's Office of Personnel Management Family and Medical

Leave info:

http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/HTML/fmlafac2.asp

Cheryl

> Has anyone's employer requested or has anyone on their own without

> employer prompting done FMLA leading up to their myo's. My

supervisor

> has been wondering in understanding the pain I've been enduring and

> the many dr's appointments with no clear plan up until

recently...but

> she is requesting that I file FMLA paperwork so she can cover me in

> terms exempting me this review year from productivity/state

mandated

> performance contract billable hours (I'm a social worker for a

local

> gov't..everything has to be billable).

>

> Although I know at this point that surgery is imminent, I don't

have

> a date for when I'll be out at this point b/c I am still back and

> forth to the dr.

>

> Any advice or old posts that I could be directed to?

[Guest guest]

As soon as I knew the date of my surgery (which at most places of

employment they would like 30 days notice before the actual surgery

and so you can complete FMLA paperwork and be covered) I asked the

Personnel/Human Resources department exactly what forms I needed to

fill out, exactly who had to sign them, where to send them, etc. Also,

my doctor's office gave me a slip that put me out for 7 weeks and so

that was the ending date for my forms.

Also, yes, you have to use all your sick time so ladies if you are

planning surgery ideally you want to have a lot of sick time on the

books if you can. If you also have short-term disability insurance

(which if you are given that option at work, it doesn't cost a lot and

you should have it if offered) you also need to call the insurance

company and see what paperwork they want. I was able to have most all

of my time paid by using sick time and then have 2 weeks covered by

short-term disability insurance (which was about 70% of my regular

pay). Make sure to get all short-term disability paperwork filed in

plenty of time before your surgery. Also, send it my certified,

return receipt mail from the post office. This may cost a bit more,

but it is worth it because I had to continually call and follow up

with the insurance company to make sure it got approved. I had proof

they received it and was able to talk to a supervisor there and tell

them I know they received the paperwork on such and such date because

they signed for it. I had only 1 week left to go of sick time and

finally got the manager at the insurance company to approve my claim.

I told her I didn't know what took so long when I submitted my

paperwork weeks in advance. So, make sure to get proof of delivery

and a signed postcard back to you from the insurance company (once

again, learning from experience).

My doctor's notice automatically gave me a signed return slip to

provide to work once I got back (Important--don't assume your

supervisor will automatically call up and tell the appropriate

department you are back). When you get back make sure to make a copy

of that signed return slip and walk it over to whatever department

needs to have it for their files or you will probably still be marked

as out on their computers. I know because this happened to me. I got

it corrected, but once again, don't assume your supervisor will handle

this.

Also, very important. There is a loophole in the FMLA leave. When

you get back they don't have to give you the same job back, but an

equivalent job (same pay and title). The reality means if someone in

your department doesn't want you back, or they want to " re-organize "

they can and you might come back to a different department. Once

again, experience speaks. I saw this tactic used not only where I

work now, but at a former Fortune 300 company I worked at where a

secretary went out on maternity leave and she had been working for a

new woman boss for a few months. Well, that boss decided to get a new

secretary within 2 weeks of that secretary going out on FMLA. When

the secretary came back, she had the same pay and title but was in

floating hell for quite a while and had to apply for positions she was

qualified for, but not necessarily in the best departments in the

company.

So, just be forewarned that I've seen this go on in 2 different

companies now and I'm sure they aren't the only ones. If you have a

new boss, or there is reorganizing going on in your department, or a

co-worker just doesn't like you, or other things you can't plan on,

they will use this opportunity to move you out to another department.

In my case, a new boss was named to our department one week before I

came back. And, sure enough, that new boss decided to start putting

" their people " in spots in the department and I was transferred out.

I still had a job, but it was perfectly legal for them to do that.

I knew another girl that went out on a 30-day doctor recommended leave

for stress. Well, that is another issue that you all won't have to

worry about under FMLA, because once the doctor claimed her " stressed "

she was a marked woman (liability to the company because they feared a

" stress " worker's comp claim by her). So, they could not legally let

her go while she was out on medical leave. However, about a few

months after she came back to her original job, they layed her off! (a

one-person lay-off in a department of a company that was making lots

of profit).

Lesson, ladies you better be completely healed before you go back to

the rat race. If you are only 90% better then you better be off

another week until you are 100%. I know because when I was back I had

to face being transferred, then fighting for a better spot, then

running to catch the bus and the train every day. So, make sure you

can do your regular activities before you go back to work. As soon as

you can, start walking, even around your room and increase the number

of minutes you walk every day or week until you are up to 30-40

minutes or more. You will need your stamina to cope back at work!

I'm not trying to scare anyone about FMLA, but it is better to be

forewarned about what can happen.

P.S. I am 4 1/2 months post myo and feel great! I ran a few miles

last night and felt really good (except for my sinuses). Still a bit

numb above bikini incision (about 4 " long and fading--using Vitamin E

oil) but the doctor says that eventually the feeling will come back.

Either way, better trade off than before. I'm saving $$$ in not

buying a lot of pads every month. Flow is normal, no accidents, and

free to roam around any time of the month and do things without worry

about being near a bathroom and having a change of clothes on hand!

For those of you doing the " watch and wait " , in my case I knew waiting

would only mean the fibroid getting bigger and causing more problems.

I was calm going into surgery, had no complications, listened to a

relaxation/hypnosis CD every day after surgery which means I had

hardly any pain and used less medicine so was never nauseous.

Good luck to you all with whatever you decide to do!

> Has anyone's employer requested or has anyone on their own without

> employer prompting done FMLA leading up to their myo's.