Key points
- Every state and territory Act covers casual and part-time employees.
- In Victoria, a gap of more than 12 weeks can break your service.
- In Queensland, a gap of more than 3 months between contracts ends continuity.
- In Tasmania, regular work of at least 32 hours in each consecutive 4-week period makes your service continuous.
- NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA and Tasmania include casual loading in long service leave pay.
On this page
Who the Acts cover
Every state and territory Act covers casual and part-time employees. In the ACT, the Act covers a casual if the employer offers regular and systematic employment from time to time. There must also be an expectation of further employment (Dictionary).
When gaps between shifts break your service
| State | Casual continuity rule | Section |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Each engagement is a separate contract. There must be a pattern of engagements, and the Act's list applies to each gap. There is no fixed gap rule. Casual service before 9 May 1985 does not count | s 4(11) |
| VIC | Your service is continuous unless a gap is more than 12 weeks. A longer gap is still acceptable if there was an agreement before the gap. It is also acceptable if the gap is due to the terms of engagement or seasonal factors. It is also acceptable if the work was regular and systematic, with a reasonable expectation of return. Parental leave of up to 104 weeks is also acceptable | s 12(2)(d), s 12(3) |
| QLD | Gaps between engagements count as service, but a gap of more than 3 months between contracts ends continuity. The Act does not count casual service before 23 June 1990 | s 103 |
| WA | Some absences do not break service, whatever their length. These are absences under the terms of employment, absences from seasonal factors, and absences with a reasonable expectation of return. These absences count as service | s 6(5), s 6A(1)(c) |
| SA | Engagements are continuous if they form a series. The test looks at regularity, the gaps and the reasons for the gaps. The Act has no hours threshold | s 6 |
| TAS | The Act deems your service continuous if your employer regularly employs you for at least 32 hours in each consecutive 4-week period | s 5(3) |
| ACT | A gap of up to 2 months does not break service, but the gap does not count as service | s 2G |
| NT | The NT has no separate casual test. Re-employment within 2 months does not break service. But unpaid absences do not count as service | s 12 |
Pick your state. The calculator uses that state's Act and shows the working.
How your employer averages your pay
If your hours vary, an average sets your weekly pay for long service leave. The period for the average is very different between states.
| State | Method to find the average | Section |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | The higher of average weekly hours over 12 months or over 5 years. The pay includes casual loading | s 3(2A) |
| VIC | This applies if your hours are not fixed, or if they changed in the last 104 weeks. The pay uses the greatest of the average over 52 weeks, 260 weeks or the whole period. The pay includes casual loading | s 15, s 16 |
| QLD | This applies if you were casual or part-time at any time. The hours of leave are total ordinary hours actually worked over your whole service / 52 x 8.6667 / 10. Your employer pays these hours at your current hourly rate. Casuals get the loaded casual rate | s 105 |
| WA | The pay uses average hours for each accrual period: the first 10 years, then each 5 years. Weeks with no work count as zero. The pay includes casual loading | s 7(2), s 7B |
| SA | Average weekly hours over the last 3 years (156 worked weeks) x your hourly rate. The Act has no 12-month alternative. The pay includes casual loading | s 3 |
| TAS | Average weekly hours over the 12 months before leave. The pay includes casual and part-time loadings | s 11(6) |
| ACT | For leave, the pay uses average hours over the 12 months before you became entitled. If you moved from full-time to part-time or casual in the 2 years before, the pay is total pay over 5 years / 5. When you leave, the pay uses average hours over the last 12 months at your final rate | s 7(2)-(3), s 11D |
| NT | Your employer calculates year by year. For each completed year, the pay is that year's average weekly hours x your final rate x 1.3 weeks | s 11 |
A change between full-time, part-time and casual work
In NSW and WA, a change in your employment type does not break continuous service. In Queensland, the hours formula applies if you were casual or part-time at any point in your service (s 105). In Victoria, a change in your fixed hours in the last 104 weeks means that the average rule applies (s 16).
In the ACT, the 5-year method applies in one case (s 7(3)). This is when you moved from full-time to part-time or casual in the 2 years before your entitlement. The Act does not say clearly whether that method also applies when you leave.
In SA, if you were full-time throughout the last 3 years, your employer pays you as full-time. This applies even if you were mostly part-time before.
In NSW, your employer cannot add a loading to your casual rate in place of long service leave (s 4(8)).
Common questions
Do casual workers get long service leave?
Yes. Every state and territory Act covers casuals, if your service counts as continuous under the rules of your state.
How long can a gap between shifts be?
The answer depends on the state. Victoria allows up to 12 weeks. Queensland allows up to 3 months. The ACT and the NT allow 2 months. NSW and SA look at the pattern of work. Tasmania needs 32 hours in every 4 weeks.
Is casual loading included in long service leave pay?
Yes, in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA and Tasmania.
My hours changed a lot. Which period applies?
The answer is different in each state. NSW uses the higher of 12 months or 5 years. Victoria uses the greatest of 52 weeks, 260 weeks or the whole period. SA uses the last 3 years. Queensland uses your whole service.
Related guides
Rules last reviewed 3 November 2026. Every figure comes from the state Acts, the regulators and the ATO; see sources and method.
Calculators
Across Australia
- Pro rata leave in every state
- Is it paid out when you leave?
- How many weeks you get
- Tax on unused leave
- Casual workers
- Part-time and changed hours
- Cashing out leave
- Super on long service leave
- Portable schemes
- Commonwealth and APS staff
- NSW Health staff
- Every long service leave Act
- Fair Work and the NES
- Awards and long service leave
- Changing employers