Ok... So according to works policy, you must have completed 40 weeks continous service to be entitled to paid maternity leave. I will have when I'm 38weeks gestation. So I asked my manger if I'm allowed to take annual leave before then if I feel I can't work until 38 weeks. She said she doesn't think you can go from al to ml and I should ask payroll. So I emailed payroll (everything is email now so there is a paper trail, so no phone numbers at all). They said as it was only a week or two I wanted it was up to managers discretion. But then another problem popped up. Payroll added that leave without pay can affect the 40 weeks and I have 28 days lwop on my record. They couldn't tell me exactly how it affects it though and then said it is up to my local HR person to decide.
Now the reason I have lwop is because to get this job I cold called and said "I'm a midwife and nurse, do you have any work?" They were super keen and wanted to interview me that day, but you have to 'do it properly' and apply for an actual position. The only current advertised position was a full time position, which I couldn't do, I haves .5 max. They were happy with this and said they would change the position for me. But they only changed the advert, not the actual position.... I had interview, got the job that day, but when it came to getting my contract they said they don't want to change the potion, cause money wise and budget and all the crap means they can't change it back. So didn't want to be stuck with 2 pt positions instead of 1ft, in case at a later date I resigned or something, they weren't put out... What would happen is I would get the ft position, but they were happy for me to work the hours I want and would put lwop to make up the difference. I wasn't 100% comfortable with it because I knew it would stay on my statement of service and I wasn't sure how future employers would like seeing all the lwop on there. but at the time was so desperate for work I had no choice, (and after what happened last year work wise which is a more horrible situation, I needed money yesterday) we were at the point we couldn't afford food....anyway, so I accepted.
After 2 months though I convinced them to change my position because I was loosing pay, I wasn't getting paid my full amount cause of how ado works, and each month was down a full shift of pay (so am also now down 2 shifts of pay I haven't been back paid for and doubt I ever will), so they changed it. But yea I have 28 days of lwop on my record that somehow affects the 40 weeks. I asked them exactly how, but they couldn't tell me and told me it is up to my local HR rep. I fwded all this to my manager who....now this is the horrible breaking me bit... Emailed me back saying: "I can't help you with lwop situation, as you applied for a ft role and refused to work your hours". =\. She knows that's not what happened, and I was so angry and upset she just threw it back in my face when it was their decision...
All this has been going over last few weeks, all email cause you aren't allowed to phone anyone... So I asked my manager who is our hr persons? She hadn't replied. I asked payroll and didn't get a reply for a few weeks...(wait til you hear what it was) in the mean time I'm asking every single staff member who is it?? No one knew. I did find a phone number! For 'payroll' at a hospital who is in our health area (the payroll who pays us and we have to talk to is in Sydney), and it was a robot, who said "for all HR inquiries (I got excited) please contact your local workforce support manager". That was it. I was now stuck again!! I did though search for that job tittle in the staff directory and an email address popped up! So I emailed them. No reply yet =( yesterday was when I got payrolls reply and their answer to my question of who is it was..."oh sorry, your don't have a local HR rep". That was it. WTF!!! Who is going to help me now!!
The only good thing about this is my manager has resigned. And there is an acting manager now in her role (as of this week) so I have emailed her to say we need to talk. Cause I seriously have no idea...and trying to work out (read stressing) how the hell we are going to survive on just dh income (we can't)....

Sigh.... Sorry to only post with problems...