Long Service Leave Calculator
Work out how much long service leave you have, in weeks, hours and dollars, whether you can take it now, and what you would be paid if you left your job.
- Most states8⅔ weeks after 10 years
- Checked29 October 2026
| How it is worked out |
|---|
| State | Full entitlement | For your service |
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General guide based on state and territory long service leave laws. Awards, agreements and portable schemes can give different entitlements.
NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT and NT rules in one tool.
Exact service, next milestone date and weeks accrued.
Pro rata rules by reason: resignation, redundancy, illness and more.
Take your figures to payroll or HR.
How the long service leave calculator works
Choose the state or territory where you work, enter the date you started with your employer and the date to calculate to (today, or your last day if you are leaving), and enter your ordinary weekly pay and hours. If you have already taken some long service leave, enter the weeks taken. If you are leaving, choose the reason, because in most states it decides whether you are paid out before your full entitlement.
The calculator works out your continuous service to the day, multiplies it by your state’s accrual rate, and shows the weeks you have accrued, the weeks you can take now or would be paid on leaving, the equivalent in hours, and the dollar value at your ordinary pay. It also shows your next milestone and compares your service against every state and territory.
The calculation, step by step
- Work out continuous service in years, from your start date to the calculation date.
- Apply your state’s rate. 0.8667 weeks a year (8⅔ weeks per 10 years) in most states, or 1.3 weeks a year in South Australia and the Northern Territory.
- Take off leave already taken.
- Check access. If you are staying, check whether you have reached the qualifying period. If you are leaving, check the pro rata rules for your reason.
- Value the leave. Multiply the weeks by your ordinary weekly pay.
Long service leave by state and territory
| State | Full entitlement | Rate a year | Pro rata on leaving (general guide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 8⅔ weeks after 10 years, then 4⅓ weeks each 5 years | 0.8667 | 5 to 10 years for listed reasons; any reason after 10 years |
| VIC | About 6.07 weeks after 7 years | 0.8667 (1 week per 60) | Any reason after 7 years |
| QLD | 8⅔ weeks after 10 years | 0.8667 | 7 to 10 years for listed reasons; any reason after 10 years |
| WA | 8⅔ weeks after 10 years | 0.8667 | After 7 years, except serious misconduct |
| SA | 13 weeks after 10 years | 1.3 | After 7 years, except serious misconduct |
| TAS | 8⅔ weeks after 10 years, then 4⅓ weeks each 5 years | 0.8667 | 7 to 10 years for listed reasons; any reason after 10 years |
| ACT | About 6.07 weeks after 7 years | 0.8667 | 5 to 7 years for listed reasons; any reason after 7 years |
| NT | 13 weeks after 10 years | 1.3 | 7 to 10 years for listed reasons; any reason after 10 years |
Listed reasons for pro rata payment generally include the employer ending your employment (other than for serious misconduct), resigning because of illness, incapacity or domestic or other pressing necessity, and death. The exact list differs between states, so check your state’s law if you are close to a threshold.
Weeks of leave by years of service
| Years of service | Most states (weeks) | SA and NT (weeks) | Value at $1,500 a week (most states) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4.33 | 6.50 | $6,500 |
| 7 | 6.07 | 9.10 | $9,100 |
| 10 | 8.67 | 13.00 | $13,000 |
| 12.5 | 10.83 | 16.25 | $16,250 |
| 15 | 13.00 | 19.50 | $19,500 |
| 20 | 17.33 | 26.00 | $26,000 |
| 25 | 21.67 | 32.50 | $32,500 |
How it works in plain English
Long service leave rewards staying with one employer. Unlike annual leave, which you can use each year, you build it up over many years and usually cannot use it until you reach a qualifying period. Because it comes from state and territory laws, an employee in Adelaide and an employee in Sydney with the same service can have very different entitlements: after 10 years, 13 weeks in South Australia compared with 8⅔ weeks in New South Wales.
When you leave, what happens to your accrued leave depends on how long you have worked and why you are leaving. In Victoria, everything accrued after 7 years is paid out whatever the reason. In NSW, you need 10 years for a payout on resignation, but only 5 years if your employer ends your job or you leave because of illness or a pressing necessity. Sources: NSW Government: Long service leave, Victorian Government: Long service leave and Fair Work Ombudsman: Long service leave.
State and territory guide
New South Wales
Under the Long Service Leave Act 1955, workers get 2 months (8⅔ weeks) of paid leave after 10 years of continuous service with the same employer, then 1 month (4⅓ weeks) for each further 5 years. Between 5 and 10 years, pro rata leave is paid if the employer ends the employment for any reason other than serious and wilful misconduct, if the worker resigns because of illness, incapacity, domestic or other pressing necessity, or if the worker dies. After 10 years, pro rata leave is paid when employment ends for any reason. Cashing out is not allowed. Leave is paid at the higher of ordinary pay or average weekly pay, depending on how the worker is paid, and casual loading is included.
Victoria
Under the Long Service Leave Act 2018, employees accrue one week for every 60 weeks of continuous employment and can take leave after 7 years, when it is about 6.07 weeks. They can take it in periods of a day or more by agreement, and can ask to take it at half pay for twice as long. On leaving after 7 years, the full untaken entitlement must be paid on the last day, whatever the reason. Up to 52 weeks of unpaid parental leave counts as service. Casual and seasonal employees are covered if their employment is continuous, and a gap of up to 12 weeks between engagements does not break continuity.
Queensland
Queensland’s rules, in the Industrial Relations Act 2016 for state system employees and applied to most private sector employees, give 8⅔ weeks after 10 years of continuous service. Pro rata leave is paid between 7 and 10 years if employment ends because of the employee’s death, illness, incapacity or a domestic or other pressing necessity, or because the employer ends it for a reason other than conduct, capacity or performance. After 10 years, it is paid on leaving for any reason.
Western Australia
Under the Long Service Leave Act 1958, as updated in 2022, employees get 8⅔ weeks after 10 years of continuous employment. Pro rata leave is generally paid if employment ends after 7 years, other than for serious misconduct. The Act was updated in 2022, including changes to how casual service and parental leave are treated.
South Australia
Under the Long Service Leave Act 1987, workers accrue 13 weeks after 10 years of service and a further 1.3 weeks for each additional year. Pro rata leave is paid on leaving after 7 years unless the worker is dismissed for serious and wilful misconduct.
Tasmania
Under the Long Service Leave Act 1976, employees get 8⅔ weeks after 10 years, then 4⅓ weeks for each further 5 years. Pro rata leave is paid between 7 and 10 years if employment ends for a qualifying reason, such as the employer ending it other than for serious misconduct, the employee’s illness or domestic necessity, or death.
Australian Capital Territory
Under the Long Service Leave Act 1976, employees can take leave after 7 years, when it is about 6.07 weeks, and accrue a further amount for each extra year. Pro rata leave is paid after 5 years if employment ends for a qualifying reason, and after 7 years for any reason. The ACT also has portable schemes for several industries.
Northern Territory
Under the Long Service Leave Act 1981, employees get 13 weeks after 10 years, then 1.3 weeks for each further year. Pro rata leave is paid between 7 and 10 years if employment ends for a qualifying reason, such as the employer ending it other than for serious misconduct, the employee’s illness or incapacity, or death.
What rate of pay applies
Long service leave is paid at your ordinary rate of pay, but each state defines it slightly differently. In general:
- Included: your base rate for ordinary hours, casual loading for casual employees, and some regular allowances.
- Usually excluded: overtime, shift and weekend penalty rates, and expense allowances such as travel or meal allowances.
- Commission and piece rates: often averaged over a period before the leave, such as 12 months.
- Changed hours: Victoria uses the higher of your average ordinary hours over the last 12 months, the last 5 years, or your whole service. Some other states have similar averaging rules.
The rate is normally the rate at the time you take the leave or are paid out, not the rate when it accrued. Because pay rises over time, leave taken later is usually worth more in dollars. Enter your current ordinary weekly pay in the calculator.
What counts as continuous service
Long service leave depends on continuous service with one employer. Service generally continues through:
- annual leave, personal leave and other paid leave;
- long service leave itself;
- absences because of illness or injury, including workers’ compensation, within limits;
- unpaid parental leave, which in Victoria counts as service for up to 52 weeks;
- stand-downs and short breaks between casual engagements, within the limits of each state’s law;
- a transfer of business, where the new employer takes over your service.
Some unpaid absences do not break continuity but are not counted towards the total, depending on the state. If you have had long periods of unpaid leave, subtract them from your service by moving your start date later in the calculator.
Taking long service leave
Once you are entitled, you and your employer agree on when you take it. Most states require a minimum period, such as one or two weeks, unless you agree to shorter periods, and some allow single days by agreement. Employers can usually direct you to take leave with written notice. In Victoria, the minimum notice for a direction is 12 weeks.
Public holidays that fall during long service leave are usually added to the leave rather than counted as part of it. If you are sick during long service leave, some states let you convert part of it to personal leave with a medical certificate. You continue to accrue annual leave and, in most states, long service leave during the leave.
Taking leave at half pay for twice as long is allowed in several states by agreement, which can help with budgeting or a phased return. Your employer pays super on long service leave taken while you are employed.
Long service leave when you leave your job
If you are entitled to a payout, your employer must pay it when your employment ends, usually on your last day or in your final pay. The payout covers all the leave you have accrued and not taken, at your ordinary rate. In NSW and Tasmania, where leave is available in blocks after 10 years, the payout on leaving after 10 years is the full pro rata amount, not just the completed blocks.
The reason you are leaving matters before you reach the full entitlement period. Common qualifying reasons are being made redundant, the employer ending your job for reasons other than serious misconduct, resigning because of your own illness or incapacity, resigning because of a domestic or other pressing necessity, such as caring for a family member or moving with a partner, and death. A simple resignation to take another job is not a qualifying reason in most states before 10 years, but it is in Victoria after 7 years, and in Western Australia and South Australia after 7 years.
If you think you have been underpaid, raise it with your employer first, then contact your state’s long service leave regulator or the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Tax on long service leave
Long service leave taken while you are employed is normal salary and is taxed through PAYG withholding. Unused long service leave paid on termination is an unused long service leave payment and has its own tax rules:
- the part relating to service after 17 August 1993 is taxed at your marginal rate as part of your income;
- the part relating to service from 16 August 1978 to 17 August 1993 is taxed at no more than 30% plus the Medicare levy, or in full concessionally in some redundancy cases;
- only 5% of the part relating to service before 16 August 1978 is taxable.
For most employees today, all their service is after 1993, so the payout is taxed at their marginal rate. Because the payment is often large, your employer may withhold more tax than you will ultimately owe, and the difference comes back when you lodge your tax return. Our pay calculator shows your marginal rate.
Portable long service leave schemes
In some industries, workers change employers often, so long service leave tied to one employer would rarely be reached. Portable schemes fix this by recording service across all employers in the industry. Employers pay a levy into a fund, and workers claim leave from the fund. Schemes cover building and construction in every state and territory, and in some states contract cleaning, community services and security.
The entitlements in portable schemes can differ from the standard rules, for example in the number of days of service that count as a year. If you work in one of these industries, check your record with the scheme. This calculator does not cover portable schemes.
A short guide for employers
Employers must keep records of each employee’s long service leave, including service, leave taken and payments, for at least seven years after the employment ends. Long service leave is a liability that builds up over time, and many businesses provide for it in their accounts from around 5 to 7 years of service, when it becomes likely to be paid.
When an employee leaves, check the payout rules for your state and the reason for leaving, and pay any entitlement on time. When a business is sold, employee service usually transfers to the new owner, and the sale agreement should deal with the liability. If you are unsure, your state regulator has free guidance.
A worked example by hand
Here is the calculator’s default example. An employee in NSW started on 1 May 2014 and is calculating to 1 November 2026. Their ordinary pay is $1,500 for 38 hours a week.
Service: 1 May 2014 to 1 May 2026 is 12 complete years. From 1 May 2026 to 1 November 2026 is 184 of the 365 days to the next anniversary, or 0.5041 of a year. Total: 12.5041 years.
Accrued: 12.5041 × 0.8667 = 10.84 weeks.
Available to take: in NSW, the first block is 8⅔ weeks after 10 years. The next block of 4⅓ weeks is not available until 15 years. So 8.67 weeks can be taken now, worth 8⅔ × $1,500 = $13,000, or about 329 hours.
If they resign: after 10 years, all accrued leave is paid out: 10.8369 × $1,500 = $16,255.35.
Long service leave for casual employees
Casual employees are covered by long service leave laws in every state and territory, which surprises many people. The key question is whether their employment is continuous. Because each casual shift can be a separate engagement, the laws set rules for when gaps between shifts break continuity.
In general, regular and systematic casual work with the same employer counts as continuous, even if hours vary from week to week. Short gaps, such as school holidays, seasonal downturns or a few weeks without shifts, usually do not break continuity. In Victoria, a gap of up to 12 weeks between engagements does not break continuity, and longer gaps can still count if the work is seasonal or there was a reasonable expectation of being re-engaged. NSW looks at the regularity of the engagements, the length of the gaps and the reasons for them, case by case.
For casuals, the rate of pay for long service leave generally includes the casual loading, and the hours are usually averaged over a period, such as the last 12 months or the whole of employment. A casual employee’s hourly rate cannot include an amount for long service leave in place of the entitlement in Victoria. If you are casual and your hours have varied, enter your average weekly pay in the calculator.
If you converted from casual to permanent employment with the same employer, your casual service usually counts towards long service leave as well, as long as it was continuous.
Parental leave and long service leave
Taking parental leave does not break your continuous service for long service leave in any state. Whether the time on leave counts towards your total varies. Paid parental leave from your employer generally counts. Unpaid parental leave counts in some states, and in Victoria up to 52 weeks of unpaid parental leave counts as service, with longer periods counting only if your agreement says so or you and your employer agree in writing.
If you have taken unpaid parental leave that does not count in your state, move your start date later in the calculator by the length of that leave to estimate your entitlement. Government Parental Leave Pay does not usually count as pay from your employer, but the time is treated according to your state’s law on parental leave.
Many parents use long service leave to extend their time at home after the birth or adoption of a child. If you are close to your qualifying period, it is worth checking your milestone date before you start parental leave.
Planning a long service leave break
Long service leave is often the longest paid break most people get in their working lives. A little planning helps you make the most of it:
- Check your balance. Use the calculator, then confirm with payroll, because their records are the official ones.
- Agree the dates early. Most employers need several months’ notice to arrange cover for a long absence.
- Consider half pay. If your employer agrees, half pay for twice as long can fund a longer trip or study.
- Plan your budget. Pay continues on your normal pay cycle, but if you take leave at half pay your income halves.
- Check tax withholding. If you are paid several weeks of leave in one payment, your employer may withhold tax at a higher rate for that pay, which is evened out at tax time.
- Check your other entitlements. Annual leave and super keep accruing during long service leave in most cases.
When the business is sold
If the business you work for is sold, or your employment transfers to a new employer as part of a restructure, your service usually transfers with you. The new employer becomes responsible for your long service leave, including the service with the old employer. This is called a transfer of business, and each state’s law sets out when it applies.
If your employment ends with the old employer and you are not taken on by the new one, you may be entitled to a pro rata payout from the old employer, depending on your service and the reason. If you are taken on by the new employer, you usually do not receive a payout, because your service continues. Check your letter of offer and ask both employers to confirm in writing how your service is being treated.
If you think you have been underpaid
Long service leave disputes usually come down to three questions: how much continuous service you have, what rate of pay applies, and whether you qualify for a payout on leaving. Start by asking your employer for a written statement of your service and leave balance, and compare it with this calculator.
If you cannot resolve the issue, contact your state or territory long service leave regulator. In NSW, that is NSW Industrial Relations. In Victoria, it is Wage Inspectorate Victoria. Other states have their own industrial relations or WorkSafe bodies. They can give information, investigate and, in some cases, take action against employers. Courts and tribunals can order payment of unpaid entitlements, and in some states failing to pay long service leave is an offence with penalties.
The same worker in different states
To see how much the state matters, take an employee who earns $1,500 a week and has worked for the same employer for 8 years, then resigns to take another job.
| State | Leave accrued | Paid on resigning after 8 years? | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 6.93 weeks | No (needs 10 years, or a listed reason after 5) | $0 |
| VIC | 6.93 weeks | Yes (any reason after 7 years) | $10,400 |
| QLD | 6.93 weeks | No (needs 10 years, or a listed reason after 7) | $0 |
| WA | 6.93 weeks | Yes (after 7 years, not serious misconduct) | $10,400 |
| SA | 10.40 weeks | Yes (after 7 years, not serious misconduct) | $15,600 |
| TAS | 6.93 weeks | No (needs 10 years, or a listed reason after 7) | $0 |
| ACT | 6.93 weeks | Yes (any reason after 7 years) | $10,400 |
| NT | 10.40 weeks | No (needs 10 years, or a listed reason after 7) | $0 |
The same 8 years of work is worth anything from nothing to $15,600, depending on the state and the reason for leaving. If the same employee were made redundant instead of resigning, they would be paid in every state, because redundancy is a qualifying reason everywhere after the pro rata threshold.
Long service leave and redundancy
If you are made redundant, you may be entitled to several payments at once: redundancy pay under the National Employment Standards (or your award or agreement), notice or pay in lieu of notice, unused annual leave, and long service leave if you meet your state’s threshold. Redundancy is a qualifying reason for pro rata long service leave in every state, so the payout threshold is the lower one: 5 years in NSW and the ACT, and 7 years in the other states.
The payments are taxed differently. Genuine redundancy pay is tax-free up to a limit based on your years of service, while unused long service leave relating to service after 17 August 1993 is taxed at your marginal rate. Your employer’s payment summary or income statement shows each part separately. Our redundancy pay calculator works out the redundancy part and the tax-free amount.
Check that your final pay includes everything. A common error is paying redundancy and annual leave but leaving out pro rata long service leave for employees with 5 to 10 years of service.
Working out your start date
Your start date is the most important input, and it is not always obvious. Use the first day of your continuous employment with your current employer, which is usually the first day on your letter of offer or first payslip. Some situations need more thought:
- You started as a casual. If your casual work was regular and continuous before you became permanent, your start date is usually the first day of casual work.
- The business changed hands. If your service transferred to a new owner, use the date you started with the original employer.
- You left and came back. A break usually starts your service again, unless the law treats the gap as continuous, for example a short break or a re-engagement within a set period after a stand-down.
- You moved between related companies. Service with related companies in the same group can count in some states.
- You have had unpaid leave that does not count. Move your start date later by the length of that leave.
If you are unsure, ask payroll for the start date they use for long service leave. Their records should show it, and it is worth checking well before you reach a threshold. Errors in start dates are among the most common causes of long service leave disputes, especially after business sales and restructures.
Once you know your start date, the calculator’s milestone figure tells you exactly when you reach the next threshold for your state. Note it in your calendar, especially if you are thinking about changing jobs or reducing your hours.
It also helps to keep your own records. Save your letter of offer, any contract changes, your first and most recent payslips, and any letters about transfers or restructures in one folder. If you take long service leave, keep the approval and the payslips that show it. These documents make it simple to check your balance years from now, when the people who hired you may have moved on and payroll systems may have changed. For employers, a clear record of each employee’s start date and leave taken avoids disputes and makes it easy to provide for the liability in the accounts.
Glossary
- Continuous service: unbroken employment with the same employer, including most paid leave and some unpaid leave.
- Pro rata leave: a proportional amount of leave paid before the full entitlement period, usually on leaving for a qualifying reason.
- Ordinary pay: your pay for ordinary hours, excluding most overtime and penalty rates.
- Qualifying period: the years of service after which you can take leave, 7 or 10 depending on your state.
- Portable scheme: an industry scheme where service with different employers counts towards one entitlement.
- Transfer of business: when a new employer takes over your employment and your service continues.
Common long service leave mistakes
- Using the wrong state’s rules. The state where you usually work decides the entitlement.
- Resigning just before a threshold. A few days can cost thousands of dollars.
- Forgetting casual service. Regular casual work can count as continuous service.
- Paying at the wrong rate. Leave should be at your current ordinary rate, including casual loading where relevant.
- Missing a portable scheme. Industry service can count across employers.
- Agreeing to an unlawful cash out. In NSW and Victoria, cashing out while employed is not allowed.
How we tested this calculator
| Check | Expected | Calculator |
|---|---|---|
| NSW, 12.5 years, staying, $1,500 a week | 8⅔ weeks = $13,000 | $13,000.00 |
| NSW, 6 years, resigning | Not eligible | $0 |
| NSW, 6 years, redundancy | 6 × 0.8667 = 5.2 weeks | 5.20 weeks |
| Victoria, 7.5 years, resigning, $1,300 | 6.5036 weeks = $8,454.63 | $8,454.63 |
| Queensland, 8 years, redundancy, $1,800 | 6.9333 weeks = $12,480 | $12,480.00 |
| South Australia, 10 years | 13 weeks | 13.00 weeks |
| WA, 8 years, serious misconduct | Not paid | $0 |
The calculator uses each state’s general rules for continuous service with one employer. It does not apply award or agreement terms, portable schemes, unpaid leave that does not count as service, or the averaging rules for changed hours.
Three real Australian examples
All figures come from this calculator’s engine.
Scenario A: Daniel, warehouse supervisor in Sydney
Daniel started on 1 May 2014 and has worked continuously for 12.5 years. His ordinary pay is $1,500 a week for 38 hours. He has not taken any long service leave.
| Still employed | If he resigns | |
|---|---|---|
| State | NSW | NSW |
| Service | 12.50 years | 12.50 years |
| Weeks accrued | 10.84 | 10.84 |
| Weeks he can use | 8.67 (first block) | 10.84 (all, paid out) |
| Weekly pay | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Value | $13,000.00 | $16,255.35 |
Result: Daniel can take his first block of 8⅔ weeks now, worth $13,000. In NSW, the next block of 4⅓ weeks becomes available at 15 years, on 1 May 2029. If he resigns, all 10.84 weeks he has accrued are paid out, worth $16,255.35, because he has more than 10 years of service.
Scenario B: Sophie, retail assistant in Melbourne
Sophie started on 1 May 2019 and resigns with her last day on 1 November 2026. She earns $1,300 a week.
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| State | Victoria |
| Service | 7.50 years |
| Weeks accrued | 6.50 |
| Reason for leaving | Resigning |
| Weekly pay | $1,300 |
| Paid out on her last day | $8,454.63 |
Result: because she has more than 7 years of service, Victorian law requires her employer to pay her accrued 6.50 weeks on her last day, whatever her reason for leaving. If she had left six months earlier, before 7 years, she would have received nothing.
Scenario C: Mei, office manager in Brisbane
Mei has worked for the same company for exactly 8 years and earns $1,800 a week. Her role is made redundant.
| Made redundant | If she resigned instead | |
|---|---|---|
| State | Queensland | Queensland |
| Service | 8 years | 8 years |
| Weeks accrued | 6.93 | 6.93 |
| Weekly pay | $1,800 | $1,800 |
| Paid out | $12,480.00 | $0 |
Result: in Queensland, an employee with 7 to 10 years of service is paid pro rata long service leave if the employer ends the employment for a reason other than serious misconduct, so Mei receives $12,480. If she had resigned for personal reasons with the same service, she would have received nothing. She will also be entitled to redundancy pay under the National Employment Standards.
Three expert tips
Tip 1: Check your milestone dates before you resign
The difference between leaving a week before and a week after a threshold can be thousands of dollars. Use the calculator to find your 5, 7 and 10 year dates for your state, and plan a resignation date with them in mind.
Tip 2: Check your pay rate for leave
Your leave should be paid at your ordinary rate, which may include regular allowances or, for casuals, casual loading. In Victoria, if you reduced your hours, ask your employer to use the higher average of your hours. Check your payslip when you take or are paid out leave. If something looks wrong, ask payroll to show you how they worked out the rate and the number of weeks.
Tip 3: Find out if a portable scheme covers you
If you work in construction, cleaning, community services or security, you may be covered by a portable scheme where your service with different employers counts. Register with the scheme and check your service record each year, because missing days are much easier to fix soon after they happen.
Long service leave FAQs
Definitions and eligibility
Q1. What is long service leave?
Long service leave is extra paid leave for employees who have worked for the same employer for a long time, usually 7 or 10 years. It is set mainly by state and territory laws, not the National Employment Standards, so the amount and rules depend on where you work.
Q2. How much long service leave do I get?
In New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania, it is 8⅔ weeks after 10 years. In Victoria and the ACT, it accrues at the same rate but can be taken after 7 years, when it is about 6.07 weeks. In South Australia and the Northern Territory, it is 13 weeks after 10 years.
Q3. Do casual employees get long service leave?
Yes, in every state and territory, if their employment is continuous. Gaps between engagements can break continuity, but the rules allow some gaps. In Victoria, a gap of up to 12 weeks does not break continuity, and longer gaps can count in some cases, such as seasonal work.
Q4. Do part-time employees get long service leave?
Yes. Part-time employees accrue long service leave at the same rate in weeks as full-time employees. The difference is in the pay: a week of leave is paid at their ordinary weekly pay, which is lower than a full-time employee’s.
Maths and technical rules
Q5. How is long service leave worked out?
Most states accrue 8⅔ weeks for every 10 years, which is about 0.8667 weeks a year, or one week for every 60 weeks of service. South Australia and the Northern Territory accrue 1.3 weeks a year. Multiply your years of continuous service by the rate, then by your ordinary weekly pay.
Q6. How is long service leave paid?
At your ordinary rate of pay, usually excluding overtime, penalty rates and most allowances. In NSW, it is the higher of your ordinary pay or average weekly pay, depending on how you are paid. In Victoria, if your hours have changed, it is based on the higher of your average hours over the last 12 months, 5 years or whole of service.
Q7. Can I take long service leave at half pay?
In many states you can agree with your employer to take leave at half pay for twice as long. In Victoria, the employer must agree unless it has reasonable business grounds to refuse. Taking leave at double pay for half the time is generally not allowed.
Q8. What counts as continuous service?
Service with the same employer, including paid leave, most unpaid parental leave, and periods of illness or injury. Each state has its own rules for transfers of business, stand-downs and gaps between casual engagements.
State and territory differences
Q9. Which state’s law applies to me?
Generally the law of the state or territory where you usually work. If you work in more than one state, it is usually the state with which your employment has the closest connection. Some employees are covered by long service leave terms in a pre-modern award or enterprise agreement instead.
Q10. Why do SA and the NT give 13 weeks?
Their laws set a higher accrual rate of 1.3 weeks for each year of service, which gives 13 weeks after 10 years, compared with 8⅔ weeks in most other states.
Q11. Can I get long service leave after 7 years?
In Victoria and the ACT, you can take it after 7 years. In most other states, you can be paid pro rata leave after 7 years if your employment ends for a qualifying reason. In NSW and the ACT, pro rata payment starts at 5 years for qualifying reasons.
Q12. Is long service leave portable between employers?
Not usually. It is tied to your service with one employer. The exceptions are portable long service leave schemes in industries such as building and construction, contract cleaning, community services and security in some states, where your service across employers in the industry counts.
Edge cases and ATO compliance
Q13. Can I cash out long service leave?
Generally not while you are still employed. In NSW and Victoria, cashing out is unlawful except when employment ends. Some other states allow cashing out in limited circumstances with written agreement or approval. Unused leave is paid out when employment ends if you are eligible.
Q14. How is a long service leave payout taxed?
Long service leave taken while employed is taxed like normal pay. Unused leave paid on termination is taxed as an unused long service leave payment: the part relating to service after 17 August 1993 is taxed at your marginal rate, while older service has concessional rules. Your employer withholds tax using the ATO schedule for these payments.
Q15. Is super paid on long service leave?
Super guarantee is paid on long service leave taken while employed, because it is ordinary time earnings. It is generally not paid on unused long service leave paid out on termination.
Q16. Can my employer make me take long service leave?
In most states, yes, with notice. In Victoria, the employer can direct you to take it with at least 12 weeks’ written notice. Leave usually has to be taken in a minimum block unless you agree otherwise, and many states let you take it in shorter periods by agreement.
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We checked the rules on this page against the NSW and Victorian government long service leave pages, the Fair Work Ombudsman, and the long service leave legislation for each state and territory. Long service leave laws are detailed, and awards, agreements and portable schemes can change your entitlement, so this calculator is a general guide. 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, tax or financial advice. Your entitlement depends on your state or territory law, your award or agreement, and your work history. Check with your state regulator, the Fair Work Ombudsman or your employer. AUFinanceCalculators.com does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence and is not a registered tax agent. See our full disclaimer.