Cindy...I just love you - thanks for posting that!!
Renea: I need more info from you to really get my blood to boil. How long have you been employed with them, and how many folks are working with your fine organization? I don't care what they TELL you - refer to the handbook for their time off policies...and call them on it. You have rights and they are there to protect you. Cindy posted the FMLA rules above, and if you need surgery, tell HR when you need the time off, how much time off you will need, and that you will ned to get the FMLA paperwork from them to have your doc complete so you can get this medically needed time off. Generally managers and supervisors do not fully understand the rules, but HR should - you could further qualify under the ADA (Americans with Disability Act) if you are w woman over 40 (sorry - got into reading the post without checking your age...please forgive me). Go to HR - no one else needs to know anything, and you are protected also under HIPAA - HR cannot divulge to other employees the nature of your medical condition (VP's, managers, et al) due to this protection.
PM me for further discussion - I already have a reputation with folks around here that I can go on forever on HR matters
