Does NAV have to be this difficult?

Just read an article about the endeavors a journalist experienced when applying for payments during maternity leave. You can read the article here.

I have just had my latest maternity leave approved by NAV. This time around DaddyO is having several weeks more leave than we had last time. And this time no graduated paternity leave. To stretch our leave until the baby starts kindergarten fall 2015 we have put in a few months of unpaid leave from work.

Of course the “rules” for paternity leave have change some from the last time we applied for paternity leave with BabyS in 2012. Here is my post from last time around in the NAV system.

To sum up the changes:
- 14 weeks are reserved for the father
- 2 more weeks paternity leave (49/59 weeks paternity leave, depending on 100% or 80% coverage)

So this time around, our paper mill looks like this:
1. MommyS applies for paternity leave – mother quota plus 10 weeks of the joint period
Using this form: “Application for parental benefits or a paternal quota for a birth”
NB: remember to attatch due date confirmation from doctor, dated after 26 weeks of the pregnancy
AND inform employer to send “Income and tax information for employees”
2. MommyS requests employer for unpaid leave and vacation time
3. DaddyO applies for postponement of paternity leave
Using this form: “Postponement or graduated parental benefits”
4. DaddyO applies for paternity leave – father quota plus the remainder of the joint period
Using this form: “Application for parental benefits or a paternal quota for a birth”
NB: inform employer to send “Income and tax information for employees”

I’m lucky and have an employer that reminded be of point 3. If I wasn’t reminded of this form I wouldn’t know to apply for a postponement. Guess that is what our HR department is there for, knowing the rules and regulations of NAV. Thank you Catherina E!

I realize that all the stories I’ve read about difficulties with the NAV system has always been in situations where applying for paternity leave have not been straight forward. And there is always a lack of information or the presence of misinformation…

- how has your encounter with NAV been?