Work out half pay or double pay
Long Service Leave Act 1976 (Tas)Half pay in Tasmania: not under the act
The Act has no half-pay option, and s 17 bars contracting out of the Act. WorkSafe Tasmania's page does not mention half pay. (Long Service Leave Act 1976 s 12(6) pays ordinary pay; s 12(6)(c) lets the parties agree how payment is made)
Double pay in Tasmania: only if your employer agrees
There is no double-pay rule as such. Once entitled, an employee can by agreement take payment instead of long service leave (s 10), and WorkSafe Tasmania says an employee may also take a mixture of cash and leave. That gives a similar result to taking part of the leave and cashing out the rest.
An award, enterprise agreement or public-sector rule can allow more than the Act. See the Tasmania 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.