Work out half pay or double pay
Long Service Leave Act 1981 (NT)Half pay in Northern Territory: not under the act
The Act has no half-pay option. NT.GOV.AU says that while on long service leave you are paid at your usual rate of pay. (Long Service Leave Act 1981 s 8(1), s 11)
Double pay in Northern Territory: no
Double pay would include a payment in lieu of part of the leave, which s 10(4) prohibits while employment continues.
An award, enterprise agreement or public-sector rule can allow more than the Act. See the Northern Territory long service leave calculator for how many weeks you have.
Common questions
Is half-pay long service leave worth less?
No. The total is the same: 13 weeks at full pay or 26 weeks at half pay are both worth 13 weeks of ordinary pay. The leave lasts longer and each pay is smaller.
Can my employer refuse half-pay leave?
In Victoria, only on reasonable business grounds (s 22). In WA the employer does not have to agree (s 9(1C)). In SA the regulator says the employer does not have to allow it. Elsewhere the Act does not provide for it at all.
Can I take long service leave at double pay in Victoria?
No. Workforce Inspectorate Victoria says taking half the leave at double pay is not permitted, because it breaches the Act's ban on cashing out long service leave.
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.