Long service leave in Australia is set by eight different Acts, one for each state and territory. Choose yours, enter the day you started, and see how much leave you have built up and what the Act says happens if the job ends now.
The full calculator adds breaks in service, a reason for leaving and a dollar estimate.
One thing to know about each Act
- New South Wales: pro rata can be paid after at least 5 years of service, the earliest point in Australia, shared only with the ACT.
- Victoria: the entitlement arises at 7 years, and from then on it is paid out however the job ends.
- Queensland: between 7 years and 10 years, payment depends on a list of grounds, and a dismissal for poor performance is on it only if the dismissal was unfair.
- Western Australia: from 7 years a resignation is paid pro rata, but a dismissal for serious misconduct limits even a full entitlement.
- South Australia: 13 weeks after 10 years, and cashing out needs a written agreement signed after the leave has accrued.
- Tasmania: retirement age is one of the grounds for pro rata, and a public holiday during the leave extends it (LSL Act 1976 (Tas) s 8(3)(a); LSL Act 1976 (Tas) s 12(9)).
- The ACT: leave builds at ⅕ of a month a year, with a pro rata band from 5 years.
- The Northern Territory: no payment instead of leave while employed.
All eight side by side, with the amounts after longer service, are on the national comparison.
Common questions, answered from the Acts
- Do I get anything if I resign or am dismissed before the full entitlement? It turns on the reason the job ended, and the answer changes from state to state.
- Does casual or part-time work count? Every state and territory counts it when the service is continuous, but gaps between engagements and changing hours affect the amount.
- I work in construction, cleaning or community services. Does my leave move with me? In several states an industry scheme keeps your service when you change employer.
How this guide is kept
Every rule and figure here comes from the Act itself or from the official regulator's page. Each page cites the section beside the rule and lists its sources at the foot, with the day each one was last checked. The site was last changed on ; each change is listed on What's new, and the method is on the methodology page. It is general information about what each Act provides, not advice on your own case.
Sources
- Long Service Leave Act 1955, NSW Parliamentary Counsel's Office. Checked .
- Long Service Leave Act 2018, Victorian Government (Parliamentary Counsel). Checked .
- Industrial Relations Act 2016, Queensland Government (Parliamentary Counsel). Checked .
- Long Service Leave Act 1958, Government of Western Australia (Parliamentary Counsel). Checked .
- Long Service Leave Act 1987, South Australian Legislation. Checked .
- Long Service Leave Act 1976, Tasmanian Legislation Online. Checked .
- Long Service Leave Act 1976, ACT Legislation Register. Checked .
- Long Service Leave Act 1981, Northern Territory Legislation. Checked .