A Swedish waitress is suing her employer after they denied coverage and docked her earnings while off work getting cosmetic breast enhancement surgery.

The woman took two weeks off work from her job on a ferry boat on the Baltic Sea to recover from the operations and was paid from medical pay benefits for time off and medical and physician’s expenses.

When they were unable to garner relief the Union took Viking Lines to labour court and are demanding 185,000 kronor (approx $25000 USD) in damages and compensation for lost wages. Of that, 85,000 kronor is for the waitress and 100,000 for the union.

Digital Journal

How about this?

A Swedish woman gets cosmetic breast augmentation and her employer finds out and takes away her sick pay. Martime law apparently states that if a sailor is deliberately injured he or she is not due sick pay. It is not clear as to whether or not the woman used company benefits for the surgery itself.

I am not so crazy about the fact that the Union is in for more money than the woman. This reminds me of the way lawyers are paid in US contingency and class action cases….frequently more than the client.

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD