Work Doc Note? Anyone gotten one and how did it blow over...

Re: Work Doc Note? Anyone gotten one and how did it blow over...

• katxattack

  June 2011

  If you doc says you can't work- you can't work. You shouldn't lose your job-its protected if you are deemed 'disabled'. Look into your disability benefits/ state laws.

  I took an extra 4 weeks disability vs. suffering at work any longer. Went over ok, despite the manager acting like he had no idea he had to replace me while I was gone...and I told him it wasn't my job to do it. Otherwise, all went fine with the corporate office, etc. They actually are a great help!

  Don't hurt yourself any longer. Take the extra time if you need it.

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• Skibunny07

  June 2011

  I think you need to talk to your HR department instead of your manager if your manager will be tough about it. Find out from them what your companies policy is because every company is different in terms of pay. 

  Are you eligible for FMLA? IF you are, they your company would have to let you take the time you need and they would be required to whole your job for up to 12 weeks. Just keep oin mind though that any time that you take off before you give birth would take away from how much time you would have after the baby gets here because you only get 12 weeks per year starting the first time you go out.

  Also ask  your HR department about Short Term Disabilty. Not every company provides this and most that do require that employees pay into it. If your company has Short Term Disability and you are eligible for it then the Short Term Disability would cover a certain percentage of your pay. The percentage depends on the policy and like I said every company is different (for instance my company is 60% of pay, my last company was 100% of pay). If they dont' have Short Term Disability then you would most likely have to take any time unpaid unless you had vacation or sick time saved up that they wold allow you to use. 

  Either way, take to someone in HR. Your manager does not sound like he will be very understanding so you will probably not get very far talking to him about it.  

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• seaturtle19

  June 2011

  I am using STD for maternity leave and really don't want to take additional time, worked until labor last time around.  We really don't have an HR dept- there are 4 of us that work for him along the East Coast and the owner/my manager.  I just don't know what my options are as far as if i am given a doc note to limit my hours on the computer- does he still have to pay me FT? 

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• heather_09_15_07 member

  June 2011

  seaturtle19:

  I am using STD for maternity leave and really don't want to take additional time, worked until labor last time around.  We really don't have an HR dept- there are 4 of us that work for him along the East Coast and the owner/my manager.  I just don't know what my options are as far as if i am given a doc note to limit my hours on the computer- does he still have to pay me FT? 

  If you're not working and are disabled, no. You should get STD if you are eligible for that.

  2 girls and a dog

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• Skibunny07

  June 2011

  hmm in that case you will need to talk to him if there is no one else to talk to. If there are only 5 of you that work there then it looks like you would not be eligible for FMLA (FMLA only applies to companies with more then 50 people). You may want to check to see if your state has any job protection though. You can google that or just go your your states website. 

  If your hours are limited then no your boss does not have to pay you full time. I would still look into short term disability though to offset any pay they won't pay you. Most STD policies will cover for up to a certain amount of weeks. My companies policy provides up to 13 weeks of disability pay. Recovery after child birth is usually only 6-8 weeks depending on the type of delivery so you may have other disabilty time you could use that would not take away from your maternity pay. 

  First call your disability company and find out what the policy is and what they would cover. Then arm yourself with that and go talk to your manager. Explain to him that while you want to keep working, you are in excruciating pain and its making it really hard to do your job. Say your doctor wants to write you out of work but you wanted to see what your options were before you did that. Then tell him what the disability company told you about what they cover. Who knows, maybe he will be understanding. 

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• SarahPLiz member

  June 2011

  seaturtle19:

  I am using STD for maternity leave and really don't want to take additional time, worked until labor last time around.  We really don't have an HR dept- there are 4 of us that work for him along the East Coast and the owner/my manager.  I just don't know what my options are as far as if i am given a doc note to limit my hours on the computer- does he still have to pay me FT? 

  If you are still working FT (just not on the computer), then yes he does. If you aren't, then he can pay you commensurate with your work hours. However, if your employer has less than 50 employees, you aren't protected by FMLA, so your job doesn't have to be held while you are out with an illness. Theoretically, your boss could let you go because while he has to make reasonable accommodations for you under federal law, if your job description includes so many hours on the computer, or total computer work, then there is no accommodation to be reasonably made, and you aren't protected.

  If you have Short Term Disability insurance, there is no reason you can't use it for this and for your maternity leave. They are different disabilities, even though they are both related to pregnancy. STD is there for situations like this, so I'd say call your STD company and work it out with them.  

  
  

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• seaturtle19

  June 2011

  yes very small company, there are 5 of us.  we do have STD which i plan on using when i go out on leave.  I have a call into them now and just waiting to see what my doc plans to put in the note.....if i can go part time it seems there might be better benefits for me.  i just cannot be on this computer 8 hrs a day anymore, it is really painful....just a crappy situation!

  thanks for everyone's help!

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• hillausky

  June 2011

  My doc wrote me a note 2 weeks ago telling my employer that as of 6/17 I was done with work b/c of pregnancy related problems. I am covered by FMLA and fortunate to have a concerned female boss who has gone through pregnancy not too long ago. Good luck!
  

  

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• Mrsstarkey08

  June 2011

  It depends on ur company policies.  My DR wanted me to go PT b/c my job is very physical and I was having severe pelvic pain.  But my job was not very cooperative at all.  I worked for a small company with less than 50 employees so the FMLA didnt apply.  They had no policies in place for PT people so I lost my beneifits, my maternity leave and my job.  They told me they would not hold my position when I left b/c I was PT.  Bunch of BS!!!!!  So about 3 weeks ago I quit b/c I just cldnt keep up with what they wanted me too.  They didnt even say goodbye,  just acted like it was another day.  I have been there for 2 years and been their main person to handle their patients and they acted like they cld care less about me.  They made it to where I pretty much had to quit.  IM not trying to scare you but just be prepared that not everyone is as supportive as they should be when ur pregnant.  I plan of finding another job after the baby is born.  B/C I dont want to work for people like that!  So just keep ur options open and ck into ur HR policies, company policies, STD before you hand them that note.  GOOD LUCK!!!!

  

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