Longserviceleave.com

Long service leave law changes

Changes to the Acts, regulations and official guidance that affect the rules on this site.

By Sri Murugan Systems · Rules last reviewed

Recent changes

  • 3 July 2026 · NSW: Long Service Leave Regulation 2026 (2026 No 329) published on the NSW legislation website 3 July 2026 and commenced that day (cl 2); repealed and replaced the Long Service Leave Regulation 2021 (cl 10).
  • 1 March 2026 · NSW: NSW IR updated Long Service Leave Guide takes effect (Act unchanged). Changed interpretation incl. pro-rata after 15 years now counts part-years; casual continuity two-step test; ordinary-pay methods (12 months / 5 years adjusted periods); bonuses; single-day leave; fixed-term workers. Not applied retrospectively to resolved cases.
  • 1 January 2026 · QLD: Current reprint of the Industrial Relations Act 2016 (Current as at 1 January 2026). long service leave provisions reviewed for this research are from that reprint; no long service leave-specific amendment identified.
  • 12 December 2025 · VIC: Authorised Version 006; regulator renamed Workforce Inspectorate Victoria (was Wage Inspectorate Victoria).
  • 19 November 2025 · ACT: Workplace Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (No 3) (A2025-30) commenced: new s 11A(4)-(5) makes it a strict liability offence not to pay long service leave credit within 90 days after employment ceases; s 8(4) omitted; new authorised-officer entry and information powers (s 12A, s 13C substituted, ss 13CA-13CE).
  • 1 October 2025 · SA: Portable Long Service Leave Act 2024 (SA) (No 43 of 2024; assent 3.10.2024). Partly commenced 17.10.2024 (Gazette 17.10.2024 p3947). The operative provisions (ss 4, 5(1)-(6), 6, 7(1)-(5), 8, Pts 3, 4 and 7-9, Sch 2 and Sch 3 Pt 2) commenced 1.10.2025 (Gazette 17.7.2025 p2650); ss 5(7) and 7(6) are uncommenced. The community services scheme launched 1 Oct 2025 (AGD news). Community services workers are now covered by the portable scheme instead of the 1987 Act. Prior service up to the proclaimed 'designated day' is credited (Sch 3 Pt 2 cl 4, 6).
  • 1 April 2025 · QLD: Infosys Technologies Limited v Fox [2025] QCA 45 (Court of Appeal, Bond and Brown JJA and Crow J, delivered 1 April 2025; appeal dismissed with costs). An employee with 10 years 1 month 10 days of service (6y 3m 10d in India, 3y 9m 13d in Victoria, 18 days in Brisbane) was held entitled under the IR Act: no 'substantial connection' test is read into s 93(b); the question is whether service was 'partly in the State', judged by where the employment was geographically located, and the Queensland part need not be substantial. High Court refused special leave on 7 August 2025 (Infosys Technologies Limited v Fox, B16/2025).
  • 31 January 2025 · WA: Current consolidated version 04-m0-00 (amendments by No. 43 of 2024 to s 4 and s 11).
  • 20 June 2022 · WA: Industrial Relations Legislation Amendment Act 2021 (No. 30 of 2021) amendments in force: new continuous employment rules (s 6, 6A), casual/seasonal continuity, ordinary pay Division 2, transfer of business Division 3, cashing out (s 5), equivalent entitlement test (s 4A), related body corporate service. Pre-20 June 2022 rules still apply to entitlements that fully accrued before that date.
  • 1 July 2021 · VIC: Industrial Relations Legislation Amendment Act 2021 (No. 14/2021), assented 11.5.21: ss 65-77 (amending the Long Service Leave Act 2018) commenced 1.7.21 under s 2(1). s 9 substituted (full entitlement payable on the day employment ends); records offences amended; Wage Inspectorate Victoria provisions; new Pt 8 Div 2 / s 58 transitional.
  • 10 December 2018 · TAS: s 13 dispute settlement substituted (No. 29 of 2018): dispute may be referred to the Secretary or directly to the Tasmanian Industrial Commission.
  • 1 November 2018 · VIC: Long Service Leave Act 2018 commenced, replacing the 1992 Act (unpaid leave up to 52 weeks and all illness/injury absence now count; casual 12-week gap rule; 1-day minimum; averaging over 52/260 weeks/whole period).
  • 1 July 2017 · SA: Current consolidated version of the Act (amendments incl. Statutes Amendment (South Australian Employment Tribunal) Act 2016).
  • 1 July 2012 · TAS: Long Service Leave Amendment Act 2011 (No. 41 of 2011) applied: entitlement changed to 8 2/3 weeks after 10 years and 4 1/3 weeks per additional 5 years, pro-rata from 7 years, death payments 1/60th; Schedule 3 transitional arrangements.

Site updates

  • 3 November 2026: All rules reviewed against the Acts and regulators; site launched.