Determining whether elective surgeries are covered under FMLA

Q         An employee is having an elective surgery that won’t require an overnight hospital stay, but she will be off work for two weeks to recover and will possibly have some restrictions afterward. Will her surgery and time off be covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?

A   Under the FMLA, an eligible employee can be granted leave for a qualifying circumstance including a serious health condition that makes her unable to perform her job’s functions. A serious health condition is defined under the Act as an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition involving inpatient care (including an overnight hospital stay) or continuing treatment by a healthcare provider. Inpatient care can also include any period of incapacity, which is further defined as an inability to work or perform other regular daily activities due to the serious health condition, treatment for the condition, or recovery from the treatment.

Even though an overnight hospital stay isn’t required for the care here, given the amount of time needed to recover from the surgery, it may qualify under the standards above, if the recovery involves a period of incapacity or the continuing treatment by, or supervision of, a healthcare provider.

Unfortunately, without further information from the employee, you cannot be certain FMLA leave is required. I recommend you request certification issued by a healthcare provider to confirm whether the recovery or potential health restrictions would qualify as an incapacity or continuing treatment by a healthcare provider under the Act.