Time off work for surgical abortion.

katepower

Hi all.

I am currently in my first trimester of pregnancy. Due to my personal circumstances it is highly likely that I will need to have an abortion. Where I currently work you need to make up any time you miss for medical appointments.

However I'm also aware that my employer has to give time off for antenatal care, which is defined as 'time off for appointments related to pregnancy'. I wouldn't normally ask for this, but going to the clinic about this has raised other medical issues such as me being anemic, and the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy, which is meaning that I'm having a lot of lengthy appintments and struggling to make the time up at work.

I just wondered what people's thoughts were on this.

DomRavioli

You won't get time off for an elective abortion - it isn't "related to pregnancy" under most T&Cs (not saying I agree, but it is usually how it is) - you would need to contact HR to confirm either way. If it was an emergency admission and emergency surgery you may get time off, but you already know about it so its likely classed as elective.

If you have an ectopic pregnancy you need to go to the hospital straight away - it can turn into a life threatening emergency in hours, but your midwife/ante natal care team would have informed you of this already.

Also, anaemia in England is treated in the community, so a GP appointment and GP blood tests once it is diagnosed, it would also usually be discussed with midwife/care team at your antenatal appointments, so unsure what you mean by lengthy time off.

A surgical abortion is also usually a last case resort - there are other methods available, have these been discussed in full with you so you understand them, their risks and recovery times?

You need to speak to HR for clarification on your personal contract terms and conditions.

FBaby

Are you saying that you might need a termination as a result of your pregnancy being ectopic? If that is the case, then this will be considered emergency treatment and I expect fall under the medical appointment policy.

If however you are wishing to terminate through your own choice, then it might be debatable if all what is said is what you wrote, which is clearly ambiguous when it comes to voluntary termination.

t0rt0ise

A termination is not a medical appointment, it's a procedure. Imagine if you had appendicitis and two weeks off recovering. You'd simply be off sick and not have to make the time up. Same with a termination I'd think. Surely your company has a sickness policy.

tomtontom

t0rt0ise wrote: »

A termination is not a medical appointment, it's a procedure. Imagine if you had appendicitis and two weeks off recovering. You'd simply be off sick and not have to make the time up. Same with a termination I'd think. Surely your company has a sickness policy.

You cannot compare an elective abortion to an appendix removal - one is through choice, the other through necessity.

OP your post doesn't make much sense. Speak to a doctor or your midwife about your reasons for ending your pregnancy. If the abortion is clinically necessary then you'll be covered by the sickness absence policy, if it is through personal choice then you should be taking annual leave.

GwylimT

If the abortion is medically necessary you covered by your work places absence policy. If this is an elective procedure, you will have to request unpaid leave, however your employer can refuse.

theoretica

In my work, the day of an elective procedure is to be taken as leave or worked back, but recovery time afterwards is covered by the sickness policy and you could probably be given a sick note for this.

However, isn't the time for your anaemia and investigating the possibility of ectopic pregnancy 'to do with pregnancy'?

BrassicWoman

I'd persoally use holiday to keep it just my business.

lessonlearned

An elective abortion for ectopic pregnancy is a medical need, not a matter of choice.

Kate - don't delay get this done asap.

I had an ectopic pregnancy where I had started to bleed at around 8 weeks gestation. They discovered it was an ectopic pregnancy at week 11.

I saw my GP on Monday, on Friday I saw the consultant at 2 pm in clinic and was on the operating table at 7 pm the same evening, even though it was a Friday and the start of the weekend.

Yes it can be that serious.

If it's an ectopic pregnancy then don't mess about.......it can be life threatening.

And yes you will Be entitled to sick pay.

I was off work for 6 weeks.

Poppie68

lessonlearned wrote: »

An elective abortion for ectopic pregnancy is a medical need, not a matter of choice.

Kate - don't delay get this done asap.

I had an ectopic pregnancy where I had started to bleed at around 8 weeks gestation. They discovered it was an ectopic pregnancy at week 11.

I saw my GP on Monday, on Friday I saw the consultant at 2 pm in clinic and was on the operating table at 7 pm the same evening, even though it was a Friday and the start of the weekend.

Yes it can be that serious.

If it's an ectopic pregnancy then don't mess about.......it can be life threatening.

And yes you will Be entitled to sick pay.

I was off work for 6 weeks.

The OP says she is having the procedure for personal reasons, the ectopic pregnancy part seems rather confusing apart from anything else this would of been confirmed by now especially if as she said she's had lengthy appointments.


OP book the time as holiday, you can keep the matter private then.

Undervalued

theoretica wrote: »

In my work, the day of an elective procedure is to be taken as leave or worked back, but recovery time afterwards is covered by the sickness policy and you could probably be given a sick note for this.

Which is quite generous.

Where would your employer draw the line? Suppose somebody chose to have major cosmetic surgery then needed six weeks off to recover?