CPW: Returning to work after a medical procedure

RockABye

If you were off work for 3 weeks due to a medical procedure (surgery/physical therapy/etc), but ended up feeling better at week 2, would you go back into work a week early? Or would you milk the 3 weeks off? Edit: This is a PAID leave.

sparklingdiamond

I think it would depend on if I was having to go unpaid.  I might go back earlier just so I could get paid again!

nfp147

I clicked heck no, but I think it would really depend what was going on at work and what I'd be going back to.

islandmonkey8

I agree with @sparklingdiamond. If it was unpaid, I'd go back as soon as I physically could. Paid, I'm taking my three weeks!

LooneyLife

I said I'd go back, but I should have said SS probably. First, I don't schedule leave like that in advance. I play it by ear, so I'd just go back when I was feeling up to it (and cleared by my doc). Second, for me, it's not that I'm dedicated, I just need the money and couldn't afford to stay home or use leave when I didn't really need it.

spin25

sparklingdiamond said:

I think it would depend on if I was having to go unpaid.  I might go back earlier just so I could get paid again!

This exactly.

Also, it would depend on whether I was creating more work for myself upon my return if I stayed home. Or if coworkers had to pick up the slack for me while I was gone. I'd feel shitty about making more work for others if I felt up to working.

zamboni00

SS- Would completely depend on a few things.  Paid/Unpaid being one of them.

Another being the likelyhood that there may or may not be more time off needed in the future.  If this was a one and done, then I'd probably be more likely to take the 3 weeks.  If it was one in a series of procedures, or I had any inkling that i may need more time off in the near future, I'd probably be more likely to go back.

I would also return earlier if it was going to cause more work to pile up for me when I got back, or for my co-workers, like @spin25 said.

LittleLady77

If my doctors told me to take 3 weeks off I would do that. You might feel better at home but the stress and physicality of work might be a whole different situation. Of course, all the factors mentioned above would play into the decision.

seahorse01

How is this even a question?

Bon bons all day every day.

JK, I would probably be checking email the whole time because I am a sucker like that.

RockABye

This is a paid leave. I'm only asking b/c there's a woman at work who took off for a minor surgery and isn't scheduled to be back for another week, but she came back today. I think she's crazy lol.. There's NO WAY I'd come back early. And truthfully, I most likely wouldn't even check my email. I take as much time away from work as I can get!

Apollo11235

LittleLady77 said:

If my doctors told me to take 3 weeks off I would do that. You might feel better at home but the stress and physicality of work might be a whole different situation. Of course, all the factors mentioned above would play into the decision.

This is exactly why I said option 3.

transponster

If it's paid, and it's not important to be there, I'm sitting on my ass all week.

MadeOfAwesome

Paid leave?  Hell no.  I'd sit my ass at home.

ljraff29

I would totally milk it if I was getting paid. Whether I'm still recovering or eating bon-bons, I'd take all 3 weeks.

 

Unpaid would be a totally different ball game. Then I would go back as soon as I was cleared by my doctor.

Uptowngirl2009

Agree with PPs. If I was getting paid, definitely take it off. If unpaid, I'd probably go back.

LittleLady77

Paid leave usually isn't your full paycheck.  Usually it's 66% of your check (without taxes deducted).  In sales it can even be 66% of your base alone (not commission).  Money might actually be a factor for this women. 

That or she hates her husband, loves her job or is just plane crazy.

GoodWolf

@LittleLady77 do you mean temporary disability? To me paid leave = PTO = 100% of your check.

And on that note, I would take the full leave as long as I wasn't saving PTO for something else and wasn't bored out of my mind at home.

LittleLady77

I did mean temp disability. I would suspect that's what's she's doing if its longer than 2 weeks. I wouldn't want to use 3 weeks of PTO for a medical reason.