Can FMLA be used for recovery time off for breast implant removal/lift?

Question

Thinking about timing and logistics with work. After I lose a small amount of weight I want to get a breast implant removal/lift. Just wondering if I can use FMLA for this time off from work.

Elliot Lach, MD · Answer

One of the provisions of the United States Department of Labor's Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), is to accommodate a worker who has " a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job".  Your employer is not obligated to pay you but if you are out of work due to a medical problem,  you are entitled to, "job-protected 
	leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance 
	coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave."  Speaking without specific legal authority, but from experience in filling out these forms as a plastic surgeon, you can use the FMLA to get unpaid time off from work for cosmetic surgery.  In reality though, unless your job involves extensive strenuous activities, you likely will not have to take off much more than a week or two after breast implant removal/lift.

Can FMLA be used for recovery time off for breast implant removal/lift?

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Can FMLA be used for recovery time off for breast implant removal/lift?

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Everything you need to know about Breast Implant Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.