When did your tell your employer you were.going out for surgery? I debate whether to tell them now or wait till I get my surgery date as I still have to wait a few more months. In a way I will be glad so then I can figure out short term disability and fmla, but my familt, keeps telling me to wait like I'd get fired or something if they knew to far ahead. Isn't that illegal?

Im having surgery June 16th. I work in a busy call center so I told my boss at the beginning of may.

Employment law varies by state and even then some employers handle things their own way within those laws. Pennsylvania where I work is "at will" employment so it means you can be fired for any reason (other than protected discrimination stuff) at any time. So, technically, they could fire me for taking off for surgery. However, I don't think my company would ever do that (bigger companies are probably more careful about things like that than smaller ones).

I told my employer early that I would be taking some time off but didn't know exactly when. Now that I have a date, I put in the official request but I'm only taking a week off as I have the option to work from home some before going back.

I'd say you have to weigh your situation and figure out but I think it's usually better to give them as much advance notice as you can so they can arrange for coverage while you are gone and reassign projects, etc.

Ginger

I let my employers know approximately six weeks in advance so we could plan for my absence and I would have time to train someone to take over a few of my critical duties during my absence. I also needed to submit FMLA paperwork and short-term disability paperwork 30 days ahead, so made sure the doctor's office had all of their pieces of that paperwork filled out prior to submitting.

You should wait and give as little info as possible. The thing is, it is very hard to prove they fired you for medical leave. I didn't mean to, but I got pregnant the day I got a promotion. Let them know right away. Went on maternity leave. Nothing was ever the same. They made up reasons to fire me.... they waited just long enough to make it look like that's not why they're firing me. Right after Christmas, pink slip. Up to this point I was the subject matter expert, best metrics in the division, never late, got along with people...

I wanted to add that they said they needed to cut back on staff... but after I left they replaced me. And I was the only one let go.

It seems silly to me that this is the most nerve racking part for me. Part of me.hasn't allowed myself to be excited because I have no idea what will happen when they find out. They could be totally awesome...but sadly I am so close to getting surgery and everything is going great...it's like I'm waiting for the ball to drop. I keep thinking what if I donly everything insurance is making me...paying thousands of dollars and then tell my employer and they drop me. Part of me just wants to get it over with so they can't say "how long did u know" and at least they would understand why I have all these doctors appts