Archived Dr.notes

[Gaytargetboi]

So iam out of work for 3 weeks can I get fried? I have a dr.notes that say I can’t return back to work till that time is passed.
My hr employee just informed me that if I miss another day ima get let go. Can they do that even tho I have a dr.note? Iam in Texas (I know some laws are different than other that’s why I said the state iam in.)

 

[GlitterBerries]

I would go in and give it to them and from there they would probably have you put in a leave of absence, I would think. Just don't keep calling in or call in once saying you will be back in 3 weeks because then you will be put in as called in OR no call no show everyday which would get you fired

 

[Logo]

Should call benefit center to ask for medical loa.

 

[Gaytargetboi]

Btw this was a work ingury

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Please talk to your hr without delay with paperwork . You can get short term disability pay while you are out.

 

[Tessa120]

Skip HR, call Pay & Benefits as soon as they open (7-7, CST). 800-828-5850. They will put you on a Leave of Absence starting the time of the phone call. They will mail you paperwork for your doctor to fill out, but I got them to email it to me as well so I could get it processed faster.

Yeah, doctor's notes are great for proving that you aren't just blowing off work, but they don't protect your job. Calling Pay & Benefits and getting a LOA does protect your job.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

@Jenna120, the op had a work related injury. That's why I said to talk to hr.
Leave of absence contact info:

What to do/Contacts

The first step in the leave process is for the team member to contact their HR partner or leader. Team members may be asked to call the Target Leave and Disability team directly at 800-828-5850, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT.
The Target Leave and Disability team handles most leave and disability administration processes for team members.
The fax number is 847-554-1660. Please include your claim number (if known) or team member ID number on your fax.

 

[Tessa120]

Yes, workman's comp details would be nice, but if the OP is already being told by HR that one more day missed as a result of the injury will result in being fired, then the OP needs to skip HR and get himself on an LOA immediately so his job is protected. Worrying about workman's comp can wait the 10 minutes it takes to get on an LOA so being fired won't happen.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

That’s true. But, we don’t have complete info on this event. Hopefully, the op went on loa & have the paperwork to get paid by spot.

 

[LearningTree]

Doctor's notes are great for excusing absences here and there. However if you've been gone long enough that your absences are threatening your job then you need to go ahead and submit an LOA. You knew you'd have to be out for an extended period yet you didn't file the necessary paperwork to inform your store? That's on you.

 

[Tessa120]

Doctor's notes are great for excusing absences here and there. However if you've been gone long enough that your absences are threatening your job then you need to go ahead and submit an LOA. You knew you'd have to be out for an extended period yet you didn't file the necessary paperwork to inform your store? That's on you.

It's not obvious how it works. I didn't know, but when I called HR, she told me who to call. In the OP's case HR sounds at least slightly adversarial, probably because an on the job injury is no doubt costing that store money, so the OP is probably not being given any information on what to do or how to do it.

 

[LearningTree]

It's not obvious how it works. I didn't know, but when I called HR, she told me who to call. In the OP's case HR sounds at least slightly adversarial, probably because an on the job injury is no doubt costing that store money, so the OP is probably not being given any information on what to do or how to do it.

The issue here is not that OP didn't know the process. It's that OP knew they were going to be out for an extended period of time. OP should've called the store to let them know the whole situation. Then they could've helped them figure out next steps. Based on what OP has already stated, it sounds like they've just been calling the store every day to call out and then banking on bringing in a note later to excuse the absences.

 

[Tessa120]

If you've never been sick, then how do you know the process? How do you know that it's not like when you have something like a virus and you simply call out every day for 4 days like the doctor says and bring the note in later? If you haven't been through an extended sick period, how do you know the difference?

I've been on FMLA three times with two different workplaces. Each time was different, even when I was still at the same workplace. Every time was different. And that's with me knowing what to do with extended absences. FMLA leave #2 and #3 were the employer telling me to take it. Even though I know the legal procedure, I just didn't see how my current issues were such that I should take it. The last time I was a part-time worker and I thought that part-time workers were not given FMLA protection, so I'm glad my employer said take it.

So blaming the OP is just wrong all the way around. Even if he's been calling out every day, seeing how it's related to an on the job injury, HR should have been proactive in telling him to take a LOA and how to do that. Especially since for some weird reason Target doesn't call FMLA that, it calls FMLA an LOA, and that bit of terminology difference means to the average person that one is totally different from the other. I had absolutely no clue that the LOA I was told to take was FMLA until the doctor paperwork showed up. Sorry, if HR hasn't been explaining to the OP long before now what his best course of action is, then HR is the one being adversarial and has actually been withholding information that the OP needs in order to know what to do. Probably because workman's comp claims make your workman's comp insurance rates go up.

 

[HRLady]

So iam out of work for 3 weeks can I get fried? I have a dr.notes that say I can’t return back to work till that time is passed.
My hr employee just informed me that if I miss another day ima get let go. Can they do that even tho I have a dr.note? Iam in Texas (I know some laws are different than other that’s why I said the state iam in.)

Btw this was a work ingury

Not saying that you are lying but it doesn't really make sense why HR would threaten to fire a TM if they were actually aware that you can't work due to a work-related injury. This can be seen as retaliation for filing a workers' compensation claim (illegal) so it seems illogical that HR would risk it.

Regardless, like @Jenna120 and @Hardlinesmaster stated, call the Target Benefits Center at 1-800-828-5850 to speak to Leave and Disability so that they can put you on a Medical LOA.

 

[HRLady]

Sorry, if HR hasn't been explaining to the OP long before now what his best course of action is, then HR is the one being adversarial and has actually been withholding information that the OP needs in order to know what to do. Probably because workman's comp claims make your workman's comp insurance rates go up.

Even if he's been calling out every day, seeing how it's related to an on the job injury, HR should have been proactive in telling him to take a LOA and how to do that.

I feel like we don't have the full story. It doesn't really make sense why HR would risk potentially getting in trouble for retaliation. HR usually tries their best to be compliant with laws and not get Target sued. A lawsuit from OP would be much more expensive than worker's compensation costs. It is much more beneficial for Target to refer a TM to Sedgwick (who handles worker's comp) and Leave & Disability (who handles LOAs) than withhold information.

Especially since for some weird reason Target doesn't call FMLA that, it calls FMLA an LOA, and that bit of terminology difference means to the average person that one is totally different from the other. I had absolutely no clue that the LOA I was told to take was FMLA until the doctor paperwork showed up.

Let me clarify that Target actually does call FMLA an FMLA. LOA is the general term and stands for Leave Of Absence. FMLA is a type of LOA. Other types are personal, educational, military, etc.

 

[Tessa120]

I feel like we don't have the full story. It doesn't really make sense why HR would risk potentially getting in trouble for retaliation. HR usually tries their best to be compliant with laws and not get Target sued. A lawsuit from OP would be much more expensive than worker's compensation costs. It is much more beneficial for Target to refer a TM to Sedgwick (who handles worker's comp) and Leave & Disability (who handles LOAs) than withhold information.

But people are people, with irrational feelings. You get the STL under pressure to keep payroll low, keep other budget expenses (like WC) low. It'd be cheaper to replace the OP than to hold the position open for the OP's eventual return. Plus, if the OP works in a position that uses not commonly known knowledge, then it's easier to simply replace and retrain than to go without those skills for nearly a month. So people being irrational, it becomes super easy to simply not mention an option that will provide job protection while out, and then tell unemployment and the lawyers that he was fired for cause over absences because he didn't take the steps to protect his job.

Let me clarify that Target actually does call FMLA an FMLA. LOA is the general term and stands for Leave Of Absence. FMLA is a type of LOA. Other types are personal, educational, military, etc.

When I had to go on FMLA, not a single person referred to it as such. My ETL called it a medical LOA. HR called it a medical LOA. Pay & Benefits called it job protection and a medical LOA. It wasn't until I got the doctor's paperwork with the title of FMLA did I realize that hey, part time workers get FMLA and that's what I'm going on. That me being sick is federal law protection, not Target being nice. So yeah, the internal labeling of FMLA as a medical LOA is very confusing.

 

[commiecorvus]

It seems like much of this can be explained by ASANTS and piss poor training.

 

[buliSBI]

So iam out of work for 3 weeks can I get fried? I have a dr.notes that say I can’t return back to work till that time is passed.
My hr employee just informed me that if I miss another day ima get let go. Can they do that even tho I have a dr.note? Iam in Texas (I know some laws are different than other that’s why I said the state iam in.)

OP: Are you under or over your 90days?

 

[HRLady]

But people are people, with irrational feelings. You get the STL under pressure to keep payroll low, keep other budget expenses (like WC) low.

ETL-HR has an HRBP above them too.

It'd be cheaper to replace the OP than to hold the position open for the OP's eventual return. Plus, if the OP works in a position that uses not commonly known knowledge, then it's easier to simply replace and retrain than to go without those skills for nearly a month.

Actually, it is pretty expensive to hire new people. Found out that it actually costs the company hundreds/thousands for every individual person who goes through the hiring process. It is not easier to replace and retrain either. New TMs need time to pick up the job and a lot them don't work out long-term. Turnover is high.

it becomes super easy to simply not mention an option that will provide job protection while out, and then tell unemployment and the lawyers that he was fired for cause over absences because he didn't take the steps to protect his job.

Not saying that this couldn't happen but Target usually doesn't fire people unless they have a solid case against them. Work injury makes a firing not so foolproof. HRBP probably wouldn't allow it.

When I had to go on FMLA, not a single person referred to it as such. My ETL called it a medical LOA. HR called it a medical LOA. Pay & Benefits called it job protection and a medical LOA. It wasn't until I got the doctor's paperwork with the title of FMLA did I realize that hey, part time workers get FMLA and that's what I'm going on. That me being sick is federal law protection, not Target being nice. So yeah, the internal labeling of FMLA as a medical LOA is very confusing.

FMLA stands for Family and Medical Leave Act which is a federal law that guarantees certain employees up to 12 work weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons (a.k.a. medical leave). My guess is that it would be a little strange to say "going on a [Family and Medical Leave Act]" as opposed to saying "going on a medical leave."

 

[Tessa120]

Other places say "going on femla" or "taking femla leave". Not strange for them, why would it be strange at Target?

 

[HRLady]

It wasn't until I got the doctor's paperwork with the title of FMLA did I realize that hey, part time workers get FMLA and that's what I'm going on. That me being sick is federal law protection, not Target being nice.

There actually is another type of Medical LOA that TMs can go on after maxing out on the FMLA one. It's called Personal Medical LOA. I have helped Team Members go on these before when they needed more time to recover.

Other places say "going on femla" or "taking femla leave". Not strange for them, why would it be strange at Target?

I don't know. Like I said, that was just a guess. It could also be that they didn't need to be so specific because there is more than one type of Medical LOA at Target. You just happened to qualify for FMLA LOA so you didn't need to go on Personal Medical LOA. PMLOA is used for TMs who have a medical issue but don't qualify for FMLA [anymore].

On a side note: I personally find Medical Leave of Absence to be a pretty straightforward term. If I had no knowledge of anything, I would actually find FMLA to be way more confusing. I would be like, "What is FMLA???" It doesn't really bother me either if the LOA came from federal law or Target as long as I get to go on LOA if I needed to do so.