For anyone that had plastics, did you use FMLA or vacation for recovery? Did your surgeon have any problem filling out FMLA paperwork and how much time off did they approve!? Additionally, were you able to use short term disability during recovery?

I'm planning on a body lift this summer, and am hoping to take about 6 weeks off. I know FMLA will protect my job...but disability would allow me to get paid, versus taking the time unpaid.

Just curious as to what others have done! Thanks!!!

I used FMLA, but not disability. My work offers a "catastrophic leave bank" that everyone pays one sick day a year into and then people can apply to draw from that bank and receive their full pay if anything happens that prevents them from working. But the time has to be FMLA eligible. So I still had to do all the FMLA paperwork.

If you do go the short term disability route, you still may want to use up all of your vacation and sick time first, since that will be at full pay whereas disability is only going to be some percentage of your full pay.

I've had two plastic surgery procedures, one was covered by insurance and one wasn't. I still filed for FMLA for a personal medical procedure for each and was approved. I used my short term disability benefits for my first procedure (you can access it after being out 2 weeks) and used it with supplementation of my sick time so I got 100% of my pay for the 6 weeks I was out. My second procedure I was only out 2 weeks so I didn't file for STD and just used my sick time.