Yay, an HR question! I worked in HR for years.
FMLA (Family and Medical Leave)
If you have worked for your employer for at least 12 months; you have worked at least 1,250 hours in the last 12 months; and your employer has at least 50 employees within a 75-mile radius; then you qualify for FMLA. You can take up to 12 weeks a year. (These are the federal rules. Some states give you more time, or have fewer requirements to qualify. Your state's DOL would have more information on that.) Your employer cannot fire you or reduce your hours for this.
Your doctor would have to complete a form explaining the nature of your illness. This form would go directly to your HR department. Your supervisor would be told only that you were on FMLA leave, but not the reason for the leave. All your medical documentation, including FMLA forms, has to be kept in a separate location from your personnel file. Your supervisor would not have access to it, and it cannot affect your review.
If you do NOT qualify for FMLA...
It depends on your employer's policies regarding leave. Talk to your HR department; you do not have to give medical information to your boss. If this is your situation, I would not be able to give you a good answer unless I knew more details like your state, and more about your employer.
Feel free to send me a message if you need more help with this! I really loved working in HR...
