Work out normal weekly hours for leave
Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic)The Victoria rule
Under the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic), normal weekly hours are the highest of the average over the last 52 weeks, the last 260 weeks and the whole employment (s 15, s 16).
Ordinary time rate on the day long service leave starts (or day employment ends) x normal weekly hours, where normal weekly hours = the greatest of three averages.
Worked example: hours cut back in Victoria
A long-serving employee worked 35 hours a week for three years, then reduced their hours, with 4 weeks of unpaid leave along the way. They are paid $40 an hour.
| Year | Hours worked | Unpaid leave weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Most recent 12 months | 1,300 | 0 |
| The 12 months before | 1,560 | 4 |
| 3 years back | 1,820 | 0 |
| 4 years back | 1,820 | 0 |
| 5 years back | 1,820 | 0 |
Under the Victoria rule:
- The ruleVictoria uses the highest of the average over the last 52 weeks, the last 260 weeks and the whole employment (s 15, s 16).
- Last 12 months1,300.00 hours ÷ 52.00 weeks = 25.00 hours a week.
- Last 5 years8,320.00 hours ÷ 256.00 weeks = 32.50 hours a week.
- Whole employment8,320.00 hours ÷ 256.00 weeks = 32.50 hours a week.
- Normal weekly hoursThe higher figure is 32.50 hours (last 5 years).
- Weekly pay for leave32.50 hours × $40.00 an hour = $1,300.00 a week.
So leave is paid at 32.50 hours a week, or $1,300.00 a week.
Each year is counted as 52 weeks, less any unpaid leave weeks you entered. The Acts count calendar days and exclude some unpaid absences, so a payroll figure can differ slightly.
Victoria counts paid leave hours as well as hours worked (s 16). Include paid leave hours in each year.
See the Victoria long service leave calculator to work out the full entitlement with these hours.
Common questions
My hours dropped recently. Is my leave paid at the lower hours?
Not always. NSW and Victoria use the higher of a short and a long average, so a recent drop does not lower the pay if you worked more hours over the longer period. SA uses the last 3 years, and Tasmania and the ACT the last 12 months.
Do unpaid leave weeks count in the average?
The Acts generally leave out periods that do not count as service, such as unpaid leave. Enter unpaid weeks for each year and the calculator leaves them out of the weeks it divides by.
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.