Council guidance, designed to manage absence more effectively and provide support to families, advises if staff come forward asking time off for life-choices procedures such as breast surgery or liposuction, managers can consider offering them unpaid time off to have the operations completed.
Previously staff would have had to take time off from annual holidays unless they could produce a doctor's note.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the Conservative Party and Greater Manchester Chambers of Commerce had reacted harshly, with Conservative councillors branding the initiative "an appalling waste of time and money".
But in a statement to HR, Joe Kitchen, Tameside Council's executive member responsible for HR, said: "We would question the responsibility of playing politics with something as sensitive as this. These guidelines are to assist managers and staff through what may be a challenging issue.
"If someone wanted corrective surgery following a cancer or other serious condition, that would be a medical situation.
"Our aim, when managing absences, is to find the best balance between providing our employees with the most appropriate support while providing the best value to local tax payers."
Giving time off for boob jobs attracts harsh criticism
Tameside Council has met with opposition for allowing staff unpaid leave in order to have boob jobs.