Hi all,

   I just confirmed my date for GRS in Thailand with Dr. Suporn. (May 31, 2011)

I was wondering if anyone could tell me about their experience with obtaining a leave of absence from work. I work for a very large and well-known retailer. Any absences over a certain amount of time need approval from an outside insurance company, Liberty Mutual.  As I start to look into this, it appears that as long as I can get my primary doctor (who also prescribes my hormones) to be as non-specific as she can when filling out the authorization. I know that Liberty Mutual is notorious for not wanting to pay disability claims for GRS but I won't be asking for pay; In my company's case, the insurance company just protects my job by approving the leave.

  I figured that anyone who remained employed while getting GRS might have some insight.... Any suggestions would be helpful.

When I was working for Lowe's and had to go out for surgery, I looked in to the STD policies and one of the things it did not pay for was SRS.

But you should be able to use the FMLA to protect your job.  Of course if the doctor can set it so that SRS is not the reason, so much the better.

your doctor can fill out your flma paperwork and you will be given the time off without pay bummer and I still had to pay my part of the insurance premiums but there was no issue with it

Phew. I was allowed 10 business days. Total.
The company I work for s**ks for any benefits.

I didn't have any issues with short term disability leave. My employer, a large national bank, covers the leave. So, it just amounted to me letting my boss know, she put my leave in the system early so I would get the paper work before I left, I had it signed by my surgeon at my first follow-up, asked her for a full 8 weeks, and it was done. It really all depends on what the company decides they want covered. The larger the company, the more likely they self insure, even for STD, and the more they just pick and choose what they want in their policies. As long as it is a covered surgery selected by the company, the insurer doesn't matter much.