Annual Leave Calculator
Work out how much annual leave you have accrued in hours, days and weeks, what it is worth with leave loading, and what a planned break will pay.
- Entitlement4 weeks a year (5 for shift workers)
- Checked29 October 2026
| How it is worked out |
|---|
Annual leave under the National Employment Standards: 4 weeks a year (5 for eligible shift workers), accruing with ordinary hours. Leave loading depends on your award, agreement or contract. Before tax.
Your balance in all three, using your own working days.
See the loading separately, and add it only if your award includes it.
What a planned break will pay, and whether your balance covers it.
Check your balance against your payslip.
How the annual leave calculator works
Enter the date your leave started accruing (your start date, or the date of your last known balance), the date to calculate to, your ordinary hours and days a week, and your base hourly rate. Then enter the annual leave you have already taken in hours, any days of unpaid leave that do not count, and the number of days of leave you are planning to take. Tick leave loading if your award or agreement includes it, and the shift worker box if you are entitled to 5 weeks.
The calculator works out the weeks of service, your ordinary hours worked, and the leave accrued at 4/52 (or 5/52) of those hours. It subtracts leave taken to give your balance in hours, working days and weeks, values it at your base rate plus any loading, and shows what your planned break will pay.
The calculation, step by step
- Count weeks of service from the start date to the calculation date, less any unpaid leave that does not count.
- Work out ordinary hours worked by multiplying the weeks by your ordinary hours a week.
- Apply the accrual rate. 4/52 (1/13) of ordinary hours, or 5/52 for eligible shift workers.
- Subtract leave taken to get your balance.
- Convert to days and weeks using your hours per working day.
- Value the leave at your base hourly rate, plus 17.5% loading if it applies.
Annual leave accrual by hours worked
| Ordinary hours a week | Leave per week | Leave per year (4 weeks) | Per year (5 weeks, shift) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 (full-time) | 2.92 hours | 152 hours | 190 hours |
| 30.4 (4 days) | 2.34 hours | 121.6 hours | 152 hours |
| 22.8 (3 days) | 1.75 hours | 91.2 hours | 114 hours |
| 15.2 (2 days) | 1.17 hours | 60.8 hours | 76 hours |
| 40 | 3.08 hours | 160 hours | 200 hours |
What 4 weeks of annual leave is worth
For a full-time employee on 38 hours a week.
| Hourly rate | 4 weeks at 38 hours | With 17.5% loading | Loading alone |
|---|---|---|---|
| $26.44 (minimum wage) | $4,018.88 | $4,722.18 | $703.30 |
| $35 | $5,320 | $6,251 | $931 |
| $40 | $6,080 | $7,144 | $1,064 |
| $50 | $7,600 | $8,930 | $1,330 |
| $60 | $9,120 | $10,716 | $1,596 |
How it works in plain English
Annual leave is one of the 11 National Employment Standards, which are the minimum entitlements for most employees in Australia. Full-time and part-time employees get 4 weeks of paid leave a year, based on their ordinary hours. It builds up a little every pay, and any leave you do not use carries over to the next year with no limit under the NES, although awards can let employers direct you to take leave if your balance becomes excessive.
Leave loading is separate. It started as a way to make up for overtime and penalty rates that employees miss while on holiday, and many awards and agreements still pay it, usually 17.5% of the base rate for the leave. It is not part of the NES, so check your award or contract. Sources: Fair Work Ombudsman: Annual leave and Fair Work Ombudsman: National Employment Standards.
Who gets annual leave and how much
All employees covered by the national workplace relations system, other than casuals, are entitled to paid annual leave under the National Employment Standards. That covers most private sector employees in Australia, and public sector employees in Victoria, the ACT and the Northern Territory.
| Employee type | Annual leave |
|---|---|
| Full-time | 4 weeks a year (152 hours on 38 hours a week) |
| Part-time | 4 weeks of their ordinary hours a year, pro rata |
| Shift worker (as defined in the award or agreement) | 5 weeks a year |
| Casual | None; casual loading is paid instead |
| Fixed-term or maximum-term | Same as full-time or part-time while employed |
Your award or enterprise agreement can give more than the NES, but not less. Some industries, such as certain parts of the public sector and some remote area roles, have extra leave.
Leave loading explained
Leave loading is an additional payment made when you take annual leave. It is not part of the NES, but it is included in most modern awards and many enterprise agreements, usually at 17.5% of your base rate for the leave taken.
For shift workers, many awards pay the higher of 17.5% loading or the shift penalties and weekend rates they would have earned if they had been at work. For salaried employees on contracts, leave loading is only paid if the contract or an applicable award or agreement says so. Some employment contracts roll leave loading into a higher salary.
Whether leave loading is paid when unused leave is paid out on termination also depends on your award or agreement. Many awards require it. If your award is silent, check your contract.
Leave loading is taxed as part of your normal pay when you take leave, and it is usually counted as ordinary time earnings for super.
Taking annual leave
You can take annual leave once you have accrued it, at a time agreed with your employer. Your employer cannot unreasonably refuse a request for annual leave. What is reasonable depends on things like the needs of the business, how much notice you gave, and how many other employees are on leave at the same time.
Your employer can require you to take annual leave in some circumstances, such as a shutdown over Christmas, or if your balance is excessive, but only if your award, agreement or contract allows it and the requirement is reasonable. Many modern awards define an excessive balance as more than 8 weeks, or 10 weeks for shift workers, and set out a process for the employer and employee to agree a plan to reduce it.
You can also take leave in advance, before you have accrued it, if your employer agrees in writing. If you leave your job before accruing enough leave to cover the advance, your award or agreement may allow your employer to deduct the amount from your final pay.
Sick during annual leave
If you become sick or injured while on annual leave, you can take personal (sick) leave instead for the days you were unwell, as long as you have personal leave available and provide any evidence your employer requires, such as a medical certificate. The annual leave for those days is then credited back to your balance.
The same applies to other types of leave under the NES, such as compassionate leave if a family member dies while you are on annual leave. Let your employer know as soon as you can.
Cashing out annual leave
Cashing out means being paid for annual leave instead of taking it. Under the NES, it is only allowed if:
- your award or enterprise agreement allows it, or you are award-free and your contract allows it;
- you and your employer agree in writing each time;
- you keep a balance of at least 4 weeks after cashing out; and
- you are paid at least the full amount you would have received if you had taken the leave, including any loading.
Most modern awards also limit how much can be cashed out in a 12-month period, often to 2 weeks. Your employer cannot pressure you to cash out leave. Cashed-out leave is taxed as part of your normal pay.
Annual leave for part-time employees
Part-time employees accrue annual leave at the same rate as full-time employees, but on their own ordinary hours. Someone working 22.8 hours a week accrues 4 weeks of 22.8 hours, or 91.2 hours a year. When they take a week of leave, they use 22.8 hours, so 4 weeks of leave still covers 4 weeks of their normal work pattern.
If your hours change, leave you have already accrued stays in hours. For example, if you build up 76 hours while full-time and then move to 3 days a week, those 76 hours now cover 10 of your 7.6-hour working days, which is more than three of your new working weeks. Enter your current hours and days in the calculator to see your balance in your current working days.
The calculator uses a single figure for ordinary hours. If your hours changed during the period, run it separately for each period, or enter your average hours.
Annual leave when you leave your job
When your employment ends, for any reason, your employer must pay out your unused annual leave. It is paid at the rate you would have received if you had taken the leave, and leave loading is included if your award or agreement requires it.
The payout is usually included in your final pay. Under most awards, final pay must be made within 7 days of your last day. The amount is taxed as an unused annual leave payment: at your marginal rate in most cases, or at no more than 32% including Medicare if you are made genuinely redundant or retire because of invalidity.
If you have taken leave in advance and leave before accruing it, your employer may be able to deduct the advance from your final pay, but only if your award or agreement allows it and you agreed in writing. Our redundancy calculator shows how leave payouts fit into a redundancy package.
Christmas shutdowns and directions to take leave
Many businesses close over Christmas and New Year. If your award or agreement allows it, your employer can direct you to take annual leave during a shutdown, usually with notice, often 4 weeks. If you do not have enough leave, the award may allow the employer to direct you to take unpaid leave for the remaining days, or to take leave in advance by agreement.
If you are award-free, your employer can only require you to take leave if the requirement is reasonable. Public holidays during the shutdown are paid public holidays, not annual leave.
A worked example by hand
Here is the calculator’s default example. A full-time employee works 38 hours over 5 days a week at $40 an hour, from 4 November 2024 to 1 November 2026. They have taken 76 hours of leave, get 17.5% loading, and are planning 10 days off.
Weeks of service: 4 November 2024 to 1 November 2026 inclusive is 728 days, or 104 weeks.
Hours worked: 104 × 38 = 3,952 hours.
Leave accrued: 3,952 × 4 ÷ 52 = 304 hours.
Balance: 304 − 76 = 228 hours. At 7.6 hours a day, that is 30 days, or 6 weeks.
Value: 228 × $40 = $9,120, plus 17.5% loading of $1,596, for $10,716.
Planned break: 10 days × 7.6 hours = 76 hours. 76 × $40 = $3,040, plus $532 loading, for $3,572.
A short guide for employers
Employers must keep records of each employee’s annual leave balance, the leave taken, and any cashing out agreements, and show the balance on payslips. Annual leave is a liability on the balance sheet, and large balances can create cash flow pressure when employees leave or take long breaks.
Good practice includes encouraging staff to take leave regularly for wellbeing, agreeing leave plans early for busy periods, and following the award process before directing an employee to take leave. When an employee leaves, pay out unused leave in the final pay with any loading the award requires. Payroll software usually calculates accruals automatically, but it is worth checking the settings for part-time and shift workers.
Annual leave and personal leave compared
| Annual leave | Personal (sick and carer’s) leave | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount (full-time) | 4 weeks a year | 10 days a year |
| Accrues | Progressively, with ordinary hours | Progressively, with ordinary hours |
| Carries over | Yes, with no limit under the NES | Yes, with no limit |
| Leave loading | Often 17.5% under awards | No |
| Paid out when you leave | Yes | No (unless your agreement says so) |
| Can be cashed out | Yes, with limits, if the award allows | Generally no |
| Casual employees | No | No paid leave, but 2 days of unpaid carer’s leave |
Because unused annual leave is paid out when you leave and personal leave usually is not, the two balances have very different values. Personal leave is there for when you need it, while annual leave is both a break and, in effect, savings that are paid to you at the end of your employment.
Annual leave pay and tax withholding
When you take annual leave, your employer usually pays it in your normal pay cycle, as if you were working. If you take several weeks at once and ask to be paid in advance, the larger pay may have more tax withheld than usual, because the ATO tax tables treat it as if you earned that much every pay. The extra tax comes back in your tax return.
Leave loading is added to the pay for the leave and is taxed as part of your normal income. Some employers pay the whole year’s loading at once, for example in December, which can also increase the tax withheld from that pay.
If you are paid out unused leave when you leave your job, your employer withholds tax using the ATO’s schedule for unused leave payments. For most people this works out at their marginal rate. If you are made genuinely redundant, the rate is capped at 32% including Medicare.
Super on annual leave
Super guarantee of 12% is payable on annual leave taken while you are employed, because it counts as ordinary time earnings. Leave loading is generally ordinary time earnings too, unless it is clearly paid to make up for lost overtime. Super is generally not payable on unused annual leave paid out when you leave.
From 1 July 2026, employers must pay super guarantee within seven days of each payday under the Payday Super rules, so super on annual leave pay should appear in your fund at the same pace as super on your normal wages. Check your fund a week or two after you return from a long break.
Annual leave and parental leave
Annual leave does not accrue during unpaid parental leave, because it is unpaid leave. It does accrue while you are on paid leave, including employer-paid parental leave and annual or long service leave you take before or after your parental leave.
Many parents use some of their annual leave to extend their time at home, either before unpaid parental leave starts or at the end of it. Using annual leave at the start can also help bridge the gap before government Parental Leave Pay arrives. Taking annual leave at half pay is possible under some awards and agreements, which stretches it over a longer period.
When you return to work, your annual leave balance picks up from where it was before your unpaid leave started, plus anything accrued during paid leave.
Purchased leave and 48/52 arrangements
Some employers, especially in the public sector, universities and larger organisations, let employees buy extra annual leave. Under a 48/52 arrangement, you take 4 extra weeks of leave a year and your salary is spread over 52 weeks at 48/52 of the normal rate. Other schemes let you buy one, two or three extra weeks.
Purchased leave is not part of the NES, so the rules come from your agreement or policy. Things to check include whether super is paid on your full or reduced salary, whether purchased leave attracts loading, and what happens if you leave before using it. For a salary of $90,000, a 48/52 arrangement reduces your pay to about $83,077 before tax, but your tax also falls, so the after-tax cost of the extra 4 weeks is less than $6,923.
Reading your leave on your payslip
Employers must give you a payslip within one working day of paying you. Most payslips show your annual leave balance in hours, the leave taken in that pay period, and the amount paid for leave and loading. Some also show the hours accrued in the period.
To check your balance, compare two payslips a few months apart. The difference should be the leave accrued over that time, less any leave taken. For a full-time employee on 38 hours a week, that is about 5.85 hours a fortnight. For a part-time employee, divide your fortnightly ordinary hours by 13. If the numbers do not add up, ask payroll how they calculate accruals, particularly if your hours changed or you took unpaid leave.
Planning your leave for the year
A full-time employee has 20 working days of annual leave a year. Combined with public holidays, which vary by state but are usually 10 or 11 days a year, that is about 6 weeks away from work. A few planning ideas:
- Book leave around public holidays. Easter, the Christmas period and long weekends give more days off for fewer leave days.
- Avoid a large balance. Taking regular breaks helps wellbeing and avoids your employer directing you to take leave.
- Leave a buffer. Keeping a week or two in reserve helps with unexpected needs, such as caring for a family member beyond your personal leave.
- Check the value before you travel. Use the calculator’s planned leave field to see what your pay will be while you are away.
Salaried and award-free employees
If you are paid an annual salary, your annual leave works the same way: 4 weeks a year, accruing with your ordinary hours. To use the calculator, convert your salary to an hourly rate by dividing it by 52 and then by your ordinary weekly hours. A salary of $95,000 on 38 hours a week is about $48.08 an hour. Our hourly rate calculator does the conversion for you.
Award-free employees, such as many managers and professionals, have the NES entitlement of 4 weeks but no automatic leave loading. Their contract may include loading, or may say the salary already accounts for it. Award-free employees can cash out leave by written agreement, subject to the 4-week minimum balance.
Some salaried employees are covered by an award even though they are paid above it. In that case the award’s leave loading and other rules can still apply, unless the contract validly sets them off against the higher salary. If you are unsure, check whether an award covers your role using the Fair Work Ombudsman’s tools.
Annual leave during notice and redundancy
If you resign or are dismissed, you can sometimes take annual leave during your notice period if your employer agrees. Otherwise, you work the notice period and your unused leave is paid out at the end. Your employer cannot make you use annual leave as part of your notice period unless your award, agreement or contract allows it, or you agree.
If you are made redundant, your unused annual leave is paid out with your redundancy pay and notice. It is taxed at no more than 32% including Medicare because it is paid on a genuine redundancy. Leave loading is included if your award or agreement requires it on termination. Our redundancy pay calculator brings all these parts together.
If your leave balance is wrong
Mistakes in leave balances are common, especially after changes in hours, unpaid leave, or a change of payroll system. Start by comparing your payslips with the calculator, then ask your manager or payroll for a breakdown of how your balance was calculated.
If you cannot resolve it, you can contact the Fair Work Ombudsman, which can give advice and, in some cases, investigate. Employees can claim underpaid entitlements, including leave, for up to six years. Keeping your payslips and records of leave taken makes any claim easier.
For employers, an incorrect leave accrual can build up into a large liability or an underpayment claim. It is worth reviewing payroll settings for each employment type at least once a year, and especially when an employee’s hours change.
Long absences and workers’ compensation
If you are absent from work for a long period because of illness, you will usually use your personal leave first, then annual leave or unpaid leave by agreement. Annual leave continues to accrue while you are on paid personal leave, but not while you are on unpaid leave.
If you are on workers’ compensation, whether annual leave accrues depends on your state’s workers’ compensation law and your award or agreement. In some states it accrues during the period of incapacity, and in others it does not. Check with your employer or your state’s workers’ compensation regulator.
Annual leave in different industries
The NES sets the same minimum everywhere, but how leave works in practice varies by industry.
- Health and aged care: many nurses, paramedics and care workers on continuous rosters qualify as shift workers for 5 weeks of leave, and their awards often pay shift penalties instead of loading if they are higher. Leave is usually planned months ahead on a roster.
- Retail and hospitality: part-time employees are common, so leave is often in odd numbers of hours. Busy periods such as Christmas can limit when leave is approved.
- Construction and manufacturing: annual shutdowns over Christmas are common, and awards usually allow employers to direct leave during them.
- Education: school and university staff often have leave arrangements tied to term breaks, set by their agreements.
- Mining and remote work: fly-in fly-out rosters and remote area agreements can provide extra leave or different accrual patterns.
- Public sector: many agencies offer purchased leave, 48/52 arrangements and leave loading set out in their enterprise agreements.
If you work in one of these industries, look up your award or agreement for the details, then use the calculator with the entitlement that applies to you.
What your leave is worth over time
Annual leave is easy to think of only in days off, but it also has a real dollar value. A full-time employee earning $40 an hour receives $6,080 of paid leave a year, or $7,144 with loading. Over a 10-year period with the same employer, that is more than $70,000 of paid time off at today’s rates, before any pay rises.
A balance you carry forward is also worth more over time, because unused leave is paid at your rate when you take it or leave, not the rate when you earned it. If your pay rises by 3% a year, a week of leave you accrued five years ago is worth about 16% more now. That works in your favour, but a very large balance is a significant liability for an employer, which is one reason awards allow employers to direct employees with excessive balances to take leave.
For employees, the main point is to take leave regularly for rest and wellbeing, and to treat any balance you build up as a known amount that will be paid out if you change jobs. Check it at least once a year against your payslip, and use the calculator to see its current value.
Questions to ask your employer
- Which award or enterprise agreement covers my job, and does it include leave loading?
- Am I classed as a shift worker for annual leave, and do I get 5 weeks?
- Is leave loading paid when I take leave, all at once each year, or on termination?
- How much notice do I need to give for annual leave, and are there blackout periods?
- Does the business close over Christmas, and will I be directed to take leave?
- Can I cash out leave or take leave in advance, and what are the limits?
- Is there a purchased leave or 48/52 scheme?
The answers are usually in your award, agreement, contract or HR policies. Ask for the relevant clause in writing, so you can plan your leave with confidence. If your employer has an online HR system, it may show your balance, accrual rate and leave history, which you can compare with this calculator.
When you start a new job, it is worth asking these questions in your first few weeks, before you plan any travel. Leave accrues from your first day, so by the end of your first year as a full-time employee you will have 4 weeks available, and knowing the rules early makes it easier to plan.
Annual leave when you start a new job
Annual leave starts accruing from your first day of work, and your balance from a previous employer does not carry over, because it was paid out when you left. In your first few months, you may only have a few days available, so plan any early trips with this in mind or ask about leave in advance. A full-time employee has about 10 days after six months and the full 20 days after a year, assuming no leave has been taken.
If your new employer bought the business you worked for, your service and leave balance usually transfer with you under the transfer of business rules, and you will not have been paid out. Check your first payslip to confirm the balance has carried across correctly. If it has not, raise it with payroll straight away, with a copy of your last payslip from the old employer showing your balance on your final day.
Glossary
- National Employment Standards (NES): minimum entitlements for most Australian employees, including 4 weeks of annual leave.
- Ordinary hours: your normal hours of work, excluding overtime.
- Accrual: the way leave builds up gradually as you work.
- Leave loading: an extra payment, usually 17.5%, paid with annual leave under many awards.
- Shift worker: for annual leave, an employee defined by their award as entitled to 5 weeks, usually on continuous rosters including Sundays and public holidays.
- Excessive leave: a balance large enough that the award lets the employer direct the employee to take some, often more than 8 weeks.
- Cashing out: being paid for leave instead of taking it, allowed only in limited circumstances.
Common annual leave mistakes
- Accruing on overtime. Annual leave accrues on ordinary hours, not overtime.
- Deducting public holidays. Public holidays during leave should not reduce your balance.
- Forgetting leave loading. If your award provides it, it must be paid when you take leave and often on termination.
- Cashing out below 4 weeks. At least 4 weeks must remain after cashing out.
- Counting unpaid leave. Leave does not accrue during most unpaid leave.
- Converting hours to days wrongly. Part-time days are based on your own hours per day, not 7.6.
How we tested this calculator
| Check | Expected | Calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time, 1 year, 38 hours | 152 hours (4 weeks) | 152.00 hours |
| Shift worker, 1 year, 38 hours | 190 hours (5 weeks) | 190.00 hours |
| 2 years, 38 hours, 76 taken, $40, loading | 228 hours, $10,716 | $10,716.00 |
| Part-time 22.8 hours over 3 days, 3 years | 273.6 hours accrued | 273.60 hours |
| 2 years with 20 days unpaid leave | 100 weeks counted, 292.31 hours | 292.31 hours |
| 4 weeks at $40, no loading | 152 × $40 = $6,080 | $6,080.00 |
The calculator assumes constant ordinary hours and a single base rate. It does not apply award rules that pay shift penalties instead of loading, or the special rules for leave taken in advance.
Three real Australian examples
All figures come from this calculator’s engine.
Scenario A: Chloe, full-time administrator in Perth
Chloe has worked 38 hours a week for 2 years at $40 an hour. She has taken 76 hours (two weeks) of annual leave and is planning a 10-day holiday. Her award pays 17.5% leave loading.
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Service counted | 104 weeks (2 years) |
| Leave accrued (38 hours × 104 weeks × 4/52) | 304 hours |
| Leave taken | 76 hours |
| Balance | 228 hours = 30 days = 6 weeks |
| Value at $40 an hour | $9,120 |
| 17.5% loading | $1,596 |
| Total value | $10,716 |
| Pay for a 10-day break | $3,572 |
Result: Chloe has 228 hours, or 30 working days, of annual leave, worth $10,716 including loading. Her 10-day break will pay $3,572 for those days, including $532 of loading. After the trip she will still have 20 days left.
Scenario B: Arjun, part-time pharmacy assistant in Adelaide
Arjun works 22.8 hours a week over 3 days at $35 an hour and has been with his employer for 3 years. He has taken 60 hours of leave and gets 17.5% loading.
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Hours and days | 22.8 hours over 3 days (7.6 hours a day) |
| Service counted | 3 years |
| Leave accrued | 273.6 hours |
| Leave taken | 60 hours |
| Balance | 213.6 hours = 28.11 working days = 9.37 weeks |
| Value at $35 an hour with loading | $8,784.30 |
| Pay for 5 of his working days off | $1,562.75 |
Result: Arjun accrues 4 weeks of his part-time hours each year, so he has 213.6 hours, or 28 of his 7.6-hour working days. That is more than 9 weeks of his normal hours, which many awards treat as an excessive balance, so his employer may ask him to take some. His balance is worth $8,784.30.
Scenario C: Hannah, shift-working nurse in Hobart
Hannah works rotating shifts, including Sundays and public holidays, in a hospital that runs 24 hours a day. Her agreement gives shift workers 5 weeks of annual leave. She has worked 38 hours a week for 1 year at $45 an hour and has not taken leave.
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Entitlement | 5 weeks a year (shift worker) |
| Service counted | 1 year |
| Leave accrued | 190 hours = 25 days |
| Value at $45 an hour | $8,550 |
| 17.5% loading | $1,496.25 |
| Total value | $10,046.25 |
| Pay for a 15-day trip | $6,027.75 |
Result: as a shift worker, Hannah accrues 190 hours a year instead of 152, an extra week worth $2,009.25 with loading. Many shift workers’ awards pay the higher of 17.5% loading or the shift penalties they would have earned, so her actual leave pay may be higher.
Three expert tips
Tip 1: Check your balance on every payslip
Your payslip should show your annual leave balance. Check that it rises by about 2.92 hours a week if you are full-time, or 1/13 of your hours if you are part-time, and that leave you took was deducted correctly.
Tip 2: Plan leave around public holidays
Public holidays during your leave are not deducted. Taking leave between Christmas and New Year, or around Easter, stretches your balance further.
Tip 3: Know the value of your balance before you resign
Unused leave is paid out when you leave, at the rate you would have received if you had taken it. Knowing the value helps you plan the gap between jobs and check your final pay.
Annual leave FAQs
Definitions and eligibility
Q1. How much annual leave do I get in Australia?
Full-time employees get 4 weeks of paid annual leave each year under the National Employment Standards. Part-time employees get 4 weeks of their ordinary hours. Some shift workers get 5 weeks. Casual employees do not get paid annual leave.
Q2. How does annual leave accrue?
Progressively, according to your ordinary hours of work. For each hour you work, you accrue 1/13 of an hour of leave (4 weeks divided by 52 weeks). A full-time employee on 38 hours a week accrues about 2.92 hours a week, or 152 hours a year.
Q3. Who counts as a shift worker for 5 weeks of leave?
It depends on your award or agreement. Generally, it is an employee who works in a business where shifts run continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and who is regularly rostered to work on Sundays and public holidays. Check your award’s definition.
Q4. Do casual employees get annual leave?
No. Casual employees receive a casual loading, usually 25%, instead of paid leave entitlements such as annual leave and personal leave. If a casual employee converts to permanent employment, they start accruing annual leave from that date.
Maths and technical rules
Q5. How do I calculate my annual leave balance?
Multiply your ordinary hours worked by 4/52 (or 5/52 for shift workers), then subtract leave taken. Two years of full-time work at 38 hours a week accrues 304 hours. If you have taken 76 hours, your balance is 228 hours, or 30 days of 7.6 hours.
Q6. What is leave loading and how is it calculated?
Leave loading is an extra payment on top of your base pay when you take annual leave, set by many awards and agreements at 17.5%. On 228 hours at $40 an hour, the base pay is $9,120 and the loading is $1,596. Shift workers may receive their shift penalties instead if higher.
Q7. Is annual leave paid at my base rate or my normal pay?
Under the NES, you must be paid at least your base rate of pay for your ordinary hours. Your award or agreement may require more, such as leave loading or the allowances you would normally receive.
Q8. Does annual leave accrue while I am on leave?
Yes during paid leave, including annual leave, personal leave and long service leave. It does not accrue during unpaid leave, except community service leave such as jury service. The calculator lets you subtract unpaid leave days.
State and territory differences
Q9. Is annual leave the same in every state?
Yes for most employees, because annual leave is a National Employment Standard that applies across Australia. Some state public sector and local government employees in states with their own industrial systems have similar entitlements under state laws.
Q10. Do public holidays count as annual leave?
No. If a public holiday falls during your annual leave, it is not deducted from your balance, and you are paid for the public holiday as usual. Public holidays are set by each state and territory, so the dates differ.
Q11. Do some states give more annual leave?
The NES minimum is the same everywhere, but some state public sector awards, and many enterprise agreements, give extra leave or higher loadings. Remote area allowances and some industries also provide extra leave.
Q12. Is leave loading paid in every state?
Only if your award, agreement or contract provides it. It is common in modern awards across all states, but award-free employees and many salaried employees on contracts do not receive it unless their contract says so.
Edge cases and ATO compliance
Q13. Can I cash out annual leave?
Only if your award or agreement allows it, or you are award-free, and you agree in writing. You must keep at least 4 weeks of leave after cashing out, and you must be paid at least the full amount you would have received if you had taken the leave.
Q14. What happens to my annual leave when I leave my job?
Your unused annual leave must be paid out in your final pay, at the rate you would have received if you had taken it. Leave loading is paid on termination if your award or agreement says so.
Q15. How is annual leave taxed?
Annual leave taken while you are employed, including leave loading, is taxed as normal pay. Unused leave paid out on termination is taxed at your marginal rate, except on a genuine redundancy or invalidity retirement, where it is taxed at no more than 32% including Medicare.
Q16. Is super paid on annual leave?
Yes, super guarantee is paid on annual leave taken while employed, because it is ordinary time earnings. Leave loading is usually ordinary time earnings too. Super is generally not paid on unused leave paid out on termination.
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We check the annual leave rules on this page against the Fair Work Ombudsman and the National Employment Standards in the Fair Work Act 2009. Leave loading and cashing out depend on awards and agreements, so we describe the common position and point you to your own award. The page was last checked on 29 October 2026. Read our editorial policy and report errors on our contact page.
General Advice Warning: this calculator and page provide general information for educational purposes only. They are not legal, employment or tax advice. Your entitlement depends on the NES and your award, enterprise agreement or contract. Your payroll records are the official leave balance. AUFinanceCalculators.com does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence and is not a registered tax agent. See our full disclaimer.