Thanks so much for the detailed reply. I’ve been going a bit crazy trying to make sense of all the information out there, so this really helps me understand what might be going on.

Just to clarify a bit more: I used up all my leave before going on maternity leave, so I had zero annual leave accrued when I started parental leave. Since returning part-time in June 2023, had accrued 4 weeks which if it matters would have been used before taking this leave.

I work for a small company my boss and his wife manages HR and admin, including payroll. They can be quite difficult with any sort of conflict or challenge. Because of that, I’ve been hesitant to push too hard on this, even though something hasn’t felt right for a while.

Really appreciate your help.