Despite the current economic climate, the cosmetic surgery industry appears to be booming. Figures from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) suggest that the UK is quickly following in the footsteps of the US. Americans spent more than $13bn (£6.6bn) on 11.7 million cosmetic surgery and non-surgical procedures in 2007. In the same year, the number of procedures in the UK increased by 12.2% from the previous year. But why do we need to know about this? Employers could well benefit from reading the full article published by Legalweek.com last month.

More and more employees are requesting time off work for their surgery, recovery and aftercare appointments. Understandably, most employers simply do not know how to react. For many, it will be the first time they have received such a request, and their subsequent response can give rise to a legal minefield.

This is a difficult and often sensitive situation. Some employers feel that if an employee has cosmetic surgery only to look better, why should business be affected? The most frequent reaction is to insist that the employee takes unpaid leave or uses their holiday entitlement. Some employers do not see why they should issue sick pay because an employee chooses to ‘enhance’ their features. However, if employers continue to adopt a hard line approach to this subject they could leave themselves open to charges of sexual, or even age, discrimination.

How will an employer gain if a member of his workforce undergoes cosmetic surgery? If we look good, psychologically we are full of confidence, and our productivity level is high. If on the other hand we are having a “bad hair day”, the whole world seems against us and our productivity rate drops dramatically.

It looks like employers are going to have to get used to the fact that this problem is here to stay. It is likely to become more and more common and does not relate only to female employees. The number of ‘tummy tucks’ for men increased by 60% in 2007, compared with the previous year. A pragmatic approach is always sensible, with specific advice being taken if in doubt.

On a positive note, employers should not forget the potential benefits to its business if the procedure is to improve an employee’s confidence.

As an employer, what stance would you take if an employee asked for time off for cosmetic surgery? Would you be sympathetic to the request for paid sick leave or should the employee have the procedure and related recovery time done in their own time?