23 guides ยท Every state and territory
Long service leave guides
Plain-English guides to long service leave in Australia. Each guide uses the Acts, the regulators and other official sources, with the section for every rule.
How much you get
4 min readHow many weeks of long service leave do you get?Weeks of long service leave you can take at 7, 10, 15 and 20 years of continuous service in each Australian state and territory, while still employed.5 min readHow to calculate long service leaveStep-by-step method to calculate long service leave in each Australian state and territory, with formulas for milestone states, Victoria, SA, NT and ACT.4 min readPro rata long service leave across AustraliaWhen you get pro rata long service leave if your job ends before the full entitlement, in each Australian state and territory, and which reasons qualify.4 min readLong service leave for part-time workers and changed hoursHow long service leave works if you are part-time or your hours changed: how each state averages your hours and how part-time service counts.2 min readLong service leave for casual workersHow casual workers qualify for long service leave in each Australian state: when gaps between shifts break your service, and how your pay is averaged.
Getting paid
4 min readIs long service leave paid out when you leave?Whether unused long service leave is paid out when you resign, are made redundant, retire or are dismissed, in each Australian state and territory.4 min readHow unused long service leave is taxedHow unused long service leave is taxed when you leave a job: Lump sum A and B, the post-1993 portion, the under-$300 rule from 1 July 2026 and the 30% cap.4 min readIs super paid on long service leave?When super guarantee is paid on long service leave: leave you take, leave cashed out, unused leave paid when you leave, and portable scheme payments.4 min readIs leave loading paid on long service leave?Whether leave loading is paid on long service leave in each Australian state, what ordinary pay leaves out, and what happens when your job ends.4 min readCan you cash out long service leave while still employed?Whether you can cash out long service leave while still employed in each Australian state, the conditions and sections, and what happens when you leave.6 min readLong service leave and CentrelinkHow Centrelink treats long service leave: paid leave as employment income, payouts and the income maintenance period, reporting, and Paid Parental Leave.
Taking your leave
4 min readGetting sick while on long service leave: can you switch to sick leave?Getting sick on long service leave: whether each state's Act lets you switch to sick or personal leave and get your long service leave back.5 min readCan you work another job while on long service leave?Whether you can work another job while on long service leave in each Australian state, the penalties in VIC, WA, SA and the NT, and the rule for two jobs.5 min readParental leave and long service leave: does it count as service?Does maternity or parental leave count towards long service leave? State rules on service, breaks and taking long service leave with parental leave.5 min readTransferring long service leave to a new employerWhen long service leave carries over: business sales, related employers, moves between government employers and portable schemes, state by state.
Laws, awards and schemes
6 min readFair Work and long service leaveLong service leave under the Fair Work Act: the NES rule in s 113, pre-modern award terms, when state Acts apply and what the Fair Work Ombudsman does.5 min readLong service leave under modern awardsModern awards cannot contain long service leave terms. See what 13 common awards say, why the state Act applies, and which portable schemes may cover you.5 min readPortable long service leave: how it works in each statePortable long service leave lets your service follow you between employers in some industries. See which industries have a scheme in each state.4 min readLong service leave for self-employed people, sole traders and contractorsNo state Act gives self-employed people or sole traders long service leave. See who each Act covers and which portable schemes let contractors join.7 min readLong service leave for APS and Commonwealth employeesHow long service leave works for APS and Commonwealth employees: 3 months after 10 years, prior service, half pay, payout on leaving and pay rates.7 min readLong service leave for NSW Health employeesHow long service leave works for NSW Health nurses, midwives, doctors and health employees: 2 months after 10 years, pro rata, half or double pay, payouts.
For employers
6 min readAccounting for long service leave: a worked exampleHow to measure and record a long service leave provision under AASB 119 and AASB 101, with a worked example, the current and non-current split, and the entries.7 min readSetting up long service leave in Xero and MYOBHow to set up long service leave in Xero and MYOB, which accrual rate to enter for each state, and what the software does not work out for you.
Rules by state
Each state and territory has its own Act. Start with yours, or see every long service leave Act and the rules side by side.