Can an employer make you use Holiday leave for op?

seven-day-weekend

Roobarb73 wrote: »

2 weeks seems a lot, I've had all 4 of my wisdom teeth out in 2 lots and was only off a couple of days each time...

Anyway, back to the OP, if she is signed off by a medical practitioner as unfit to be at work then she is off sick and not on holiday, and shouldn't be required to take holiday

It depends upon whether you can have them out normally or whether you have to have your jaw broken to get them out! If they are impacted, they haven't erupted through the gum, they are growing sideways into the jaw.

Roobarb73

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

It depends upon whether you can have them out normally or whether you have to have your jaw broken to get them out! If they are impacted, they haven't erupted through the gum, they are growing sideways into the jaw.

Mine were impacted, they didn't have to break the jaw admittedly but they had to slit open the gum and break the teeth into bits to get them out. Lovely!

seven-day-weekend

I was exaggerating when I said about a broken jaw, but just wanted others to know that it isn't always as straightforward as having a tooth pulled; some people have to have a real operation.

Fluffi

bigstevex wrote: »

Girlfriend needs a wisdom tooth out but they have told her she will need upto 2 weeks off afterwards on a doctors note obviously. She has been into work and told them this and they have said there's no way she can have 2 weeks off, she will have to use her holiday leave!

Are they allowed to do this?

Well it depends whether your girlfriend wants to get paid at her normal salary rate or at SSP rate for those 2 weeks. Assuming that SSP is a lot less than your girlfriend's normal wage, the company are giving her the option of not losing any pay by taking it as holiday which seems quite reasonable to me.

ceridwen

Whew! Okay - I'm convinced for one that this can sometimes be quite a "serious/painful" type op. So - I'd go for explaining in detail to the employer about the ins and outs of how these things can be and then say "I'm option 1 out of this - the painful/serious end of the spectrum" - so I really do need that sick leave and it will be doctor-certified.

Re the sick pay - it depends on whether she works for one of these firms that only pays SSP if someone is off sick - if that were the case then she would need to toss up between her need for holiday and her need to keep the salary coming in as per normal. If they pay her salary anyway - then no problem in that respect - DONT take it as holiday.

bigstevex

Roobarb73 wrote: »

Mine were impacted, they didn't have to break the jaw admittedly but they had to slit open the gum and break the teeth into bits to get them out. Lovely!

This is the op she is having, cut the gum to get them out, but its not impacted, just growing forwards instead of vertically if that makes sense. It has to come out as the dentist said the x ray shows some decay underneath as there's a gap which cannot be got to with tooth brush.

As for SSP, we read her contract and they get upto 6 months full pay for when they are off sick.

As for the 2 weeks off, she has told her employer she probably wont use the full 2 weeks and will go back in when she feels better, (i.e. a week as most people have said the pain goes in this time).

The main aim of the op is that she is having braces fitted, so as well as this op there are 4 normal teeth to come out too! These only require 1 day off work though as they are normal extractions and she has told her work she will use her own leave for these.

tigerlily

Hi, I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth out at the same time 2 yrs ago under general anaesthetic. The top two were not a problem but both the bottom ones were so impacted the force of them was making my lower front teeth move out of line! The bottom ones both had to be broken to get them out and one of them needed a peice of my jaw to be removed to get it out aswell, all four needed stitches. Five or six days later I was ready to go back to work, albeit bruised and still swollen. I did get an infection in the site of one of the lower extractions but a course of antibiotics fixed it.
Tell your GF to stock up on liquid ibuprofen and slimfast shakes!! That is all I could have for the first 4 days.......not so much due to the removal of the teeth themselves but from the pain in my jaw from them having to open it so wide. All the best to your GF.....it really is worth it the pain after the removal was nothing to the pain they had given me in-situ!!

HelenYorkshire

Had all four out last summer - I'd say 2 weeks is about right!
48 hours for the general anaesthetic to wear off (varies by person), 3 days to open mouth, 7-8 days to eat mush, 10-14 to look human and be able to hold conversation i.e. communicate with colleagues and customers!
PS - avoid rice afterwards! It isn't as mushy as it may seem!

Also any op where they advise of "...risk of facial paralysis due to nerve damage..." IS a "proper" operation.....in case anyone at work had any doubts

bigstevex

HelenYorkshire wrote: »

Had all four out last summer - I'd say 2 weeks is about right!
48 hours for the general anaesthetic to wear off (varies by person), 3 days to open mouth, 7-8 days to eat mush, 10-14 to look human and be able to hold conversation i.e. communicate with colleagues and customers!
PS - avoid rice afterwards! It isn't as mushy as it may seem!

Also any op where they advise of "...risk of facial paralysis due to nerve damage..." IS a "proper" operation.....in case anyone at work had any doubts

Yeh they've informed her of that, if they hit the nerve then she will have no feeling in her lower jaw I think.

Soup for 2 weeks it is I guess!

ceridwen

Yep - soup I reckon - a good homemade one (to make sure she gets her vitamins, etc). I guess stewed fruit as well (as in stewed with a bit of decent-quality honey in it) and served with some plain live yogurt/Greek yogurt. Soft cheeses maybe? Milk. Dont know how someone would be with well-cooked pasta (with, say, some fresh tomato sauce on it).

Not been in this position - thank goodness - but would think those things would be okay. I actually like bread and milk (as in bread crumbled up well into some milk, with a bit of honey added) and warmed up in a saucepan. That would be a way for her to get some "filling" food inside her. Cheesy mashed potato could be another one.

I'd say she wants to get that doctor to sign her off for the 2 weeks from what you say - and, thankfully, she wont lose any salary because of it. I very much doubt whether an employer can legally make one take holiday leave when its actually supposed to be sick leave. I have the feeling also that employers wouldnt be covered on the insurance front if an employee comes into work at a time when their doctor has signed them off work ill.