Paid Parental Leave Primary Carer

[hogans9c]

Hi

I am taking work paid parental leave later in the year.
My work usually didnt give it to fathers but wording of the policy allowed me to take it and they agreed.
They are requiring me to sign a stat declaration to say that I will be primary carer.

But they are telling me that if my wife is at home longer than normal days off that she will automatically become primary carer and I will not get the leave/pay?

They also stating that they can call her work to see if she is actuallly working?

We may need to travel overseas while I am on leave.

Is what they claim correct? Or as I have done the stat dec they can't say my wife automatically becomes primary carer if she isn't working?

Thanks and kind regards

 

[Rod]

Hmm, the employer is likely not correct. And calling your spouse's work seems like they are overstepping their authority.

 

[Martis]

Ahhh paid parental leave for the primary carer — always a fun one in the FW / award compliance space 😅 Entitlements, notice requirements, and interaction with other leave types can get super spaghetti real quick 👀

Most of the confusion comes from upstream clarity — if role descriptions, leave policies, and entitlements aren’t clearly codified from day dot, everyone suddenly reads “primary carer” differently. Low-key why structured recruitment + contract hygiene matters.

Platforms like AcademicJobs.com are actually clutch here — clear position descriptions, integrated compliance checklists, and transparent leave policies make sure everyone’s on the same page from the start, especially in academic/research roles where flexible arrangements are common. Fewer “wait, what am I entitled to?” moments = happier staff 😬

Anyway, loving this convo — paid parental leave nuance deserves more airtime than it usually gets 😂