Sick pay for employee getting laser eye surgery

It does sound like this guy is chancing his arm. But it also opens up some interesting discussions about other kinds of sick leave. If somebody is regularly getting sports injuries, should the company be paying sick leave for these self-induced injuries. Or if the employer is an extreme-sports freak, should the company be paying sick leave from the climbing fall etc?

Or if the injury results from a traffic accident that is the employee's fault (maybe alcohol induced), should the company be paying sick leave etc?
 
I suppose it depends on how detailed the company policy on sick leave/absence is and how it is worded. If the policy states all that is erquired is a cert from a doctor then that woukd have to suffice but if it excluded certain items then this would be covered.

I would ask the employee to provide some evidence of sugergy appointment and written quidelines from the clinic stating time off work required. Ask them why 2 weeks is required.

I know of someone who had severe complications after laser eye surgery and was off work for a long time but this was not known in advance.
 
Well, that raises another issue... similar to Complainers above.. what if an employee takes time off for routine, elective surgery and it goes wrong... is his subsequent recovery time considered a 'sickness', or a 'self imposed sickness'?


My sick time policy is not to allow any.. except the statuary minimum, which is none I believe. But in practice I may allow a little time for sicknesses, .. if I feel they're genuine. Can I set a precedent by sometimes choosing to pay sick pay if none is required under the employment contract?
 
my wife had this a few years ago, booked time off as leave, had it done on a Thursday and drove back to consultant on the Friday, so no need for 2 weeks, unless they are going abroad to get it done, and combine with a holiday...
 
I agree with Cloughy, my sister one eye done on a wednesday and back to work on Friday. Repeated same for the other eye two weeks later.
 
I'd say all the many examples of people here who were back in work or driving within 2 days had Lasik.

If you're not suitable and many are not then the option is Lasek and it is a longer recovery time.

Good for you if you recovered within a day or two but you're comparing two different procedures and then throwing in comments that this lad is going on holidays. A lot of medical experts here I see
 
So what we have established is that the OP needs more information (type of procedure) to make a decision. OP, I imagine the employee will have to have his absence certified?
 
"OP, I imagine the employee will have to have his absence certified?"

From OP's initial post:

"las week an employee that reports to me presented a sick cert stating that he will be absent for the last two weeks in July while he is rcovering from his laser eye surgery."
 
HI,
the employee in question has already presented a sick cert. As far as I know we can't start 'listing' the types of conditions that the company sick pay scheme covers. If we have a policy of covering peoples pay while they are out sick this has to apply across the board. If an employee presents a cert from a medical doctor stating that they are not fit to work I cannot as an employer question the validity of that, so I cannot distinguish between the person that tripped while they were drunk and broke their arm OR the person that has cancer.
I think the only option is to change the company sick pay scheme which I think will have a negative impact on other staff members. I don't think I can change the sick pay scheme to cover pay for illnesses at the discretion of the company because that would mean I would have to ask why an employee is out sick which is against the law!
 
argentina said:
HI,
the employee in question has already presented a sick cert. As far as I know we can't start 'listing' the types of conditions that the company sick pay scheme covers. If we have a policy of covering peoples pay while they are out sick this has to apply across the board. If an employee presents a cert from a medical doctor stating that they are not fit to work I cannot as an employer question the validity of that, so I cannot distinguish between the person that tripped while they were drunk and broke their arm OR the person that has cancer.
Click to expand...
Do you have an option within your company policy to have the employee examined by a company doctor?
 
You have other options... you can use a company doctor, as Complainer suggests.. or you can insist that 'sick' notes are not the same as 'unfit for work' notes... especially 'unfit for work' notes that can be issued months in advance of the 'sickness'

If you stick to your current policy you will find yourself paying out for such elective surgerys as boob jobs, laser eye surgery, tattoos,.. and deliberate injuries.. such as someone deliberately breaking their own hand in order to sit at home.

You should be looking at the clauses and limitations listed in a travel insurance policy, or on a general sickness insurance policy.. I have no doubt that the insurance companies would not pay out for elective surgeries, or deliberate self inflicted injuries, whereas the OP seems keen to do that.
 
I can send him to the Company Doctor but I doubt the company doctor will disagree and say he is fit to work; these type of people never say yes or no, it will be some type of mixed response
 
argentina said:
I can send him to the Company Doctor but I doubt the company doctor will disagree and say he is fit to work; these type of people never say yes or no, it will be some type of mixed response
Click to expand...
The company doctor will say whatever you pay him to say. At a minimum, he should be able to tell you whether two weeks is anyway reasonable recovery time for this particular procedure.
 
Tell him to give you MC2s from the doctor and to complete the part to allow the employer to recoup the illness benefit from Social Welfare.

The bonus with these is that he will need to sumbit a new one each week, so then you'll know if it's a genuine illness lasting the 2 weeks!
 
Complainer said:
The company doctor will say whatever you pay him to say.
Click to expand...

Not really the case in practice as they can't lie, only give their opinion based upon the facts provided. Company doctors don't just back up employers at the employer's will unless the medical evidence and the job description warrant such a call.

As to sick pay, it isn't statutory that you provide it and an employer can develop their own policy and provide different provisions for illness, medical appointments, medical procedures and elected medical procedures. It can have the wonderful caveat of "at the employer's discretion"

If the employer hasn't made distinctions in their policy and has in the past honoured such arrangements, then this puts them in a difficult position. However, it is worth investigating as to whether the 2 weeks is appropriate in the circumstances before making a decision.
 
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