Thanks to all of you for your comments. Jasp, i hope things work out with your partner's leave - imagine not allowing a father time off when his baby is born!!

Laurena - I thought the same as you, it should be none of their business!! But unfortunately it is: it may not be the same everywhere, but in NSW the government policy restricts parental leave taken at the same time. The standard restriction is that only a week of short leave is allowed to be taken at the time of birth by the partner. It' s on here: Parental leave - NSW Office of Industrial Relations

"A worker and their spouse may not take parental or partner leave at the same time, except where one spouse or partner is on a period of 'short paternity or partner leave' or 'short adoption leave'."

Companies can have industrial agreements which allow for more than this, such as my work where they allow for four weeks of leave to be taken at the same time.

When you put your leave in they can ask you to sign a stat dec declaring how much leave your partner is taking. This is what worries me - I don't want to sign a stat dec saying that DH is taking three weeks off, if he is in reality taking six. I guess I can always plead ignorance and say it never occurred to me that the annual leave would count!