Work out normal weekly hours for leave
Long Service Leave Act 1976 (ACT)The Australian Capital Territory rule
Under the Long Service Leave Act 1976 (ACT), normal weekly hours are the average over the last 12 months (s 2F, s 7(2)-(3), s 8(3), s 11D).
Leave taken: ordinary hourly remuneration on the day the employee became entitled x average weekly hours over the 12 months before that day; or, if the employee changed from full-time to part-time/casual within 2 years before becoming entitled, total salary/wages over 5 years / 5 / 52. Termination: rate immediately before cessation x average weekly hours over the 12 months before cessation.
Worked example: hours cut back in Australian Capital Territory
A long-serving employee worked 35 hours a week for three years, then reduced their hours, with 4 weeks of unpaid leave along the way. They are paid $40 an hour.
| Year | Hours worked | Unpaid leave weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Most recent 12 months | 1,300 | 0 |
| The 12 months before | 1,560 | 4 |
| 3 years back | 1,820 | 0 |
| 4 years back | 1,820 | 0 |
| 5 years back | 1,820 | 0 |
Under the Australian Capital Territory rule:
- The ruleAustralian Capital Territory uses the average over the last 12 months (s 2F, s 7(2)-(3), s 8(3), s 11D).
- Last 12 months1,300.00 hours ÷ 52.00 weeks = 25.00 hours a week.
- Normal weekly hours25.00 hours a week.
- Weekly pay for leave25.00 hours × $40.00 an hour = $1,000.00 a week.
So leave is paid at 25.00 hours a week, or $1,000.00 a week.
Australian Capital Territory averages over the whole 12 months, so unpaid weeks are not taken out of the weeks divided by.
See the Australian Capital Territory long service leave calculator to work out the full entitlement with these hours.
Common questions
My hours dropped recently. Is my leave paid at the lower hours?
Not always. NSW and Victoria use the higher of a short and a long average, so a recent drop does not lower the pay if you worked more hours over the longer period. SA uses the last 3 years, and Tasmania and the ACT the last 12 months.
Do unpaid leave weeks count in the average?
The Acts generally leave out periods that do not count as service, such as unpaid leave. Enter unpaid weeks for each year and the calculator leaves them out of the weeks it divides by.
Official sources
Rules last reviewed 3 November 2026. Every figure comes from the Acts, the regulators, the ATO and the AASB; see sources and method.