Work out normal weekly hours for leave
Long Service Leave Act 1958 (WA)The Western Australia rule
Under the Long Service Leave Act 1958 (WA), normal weekly hours are the average in each period the leave built up in (s 7(1)-(5), s 7B, s 7C, s 6A(2)).
Ordinary time rate when long service leave commences (on termination, the day of termination) x normal weekly hours for each accrual period.
Worked example: hours cut back in Western Australia
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 Western Australia rule:
- The ruleWestern Australia uses the average hours in each accrual period; this tool uses the whole employment as a guide (s 7(1)-(5), s 7B, s 7C, s 6A(2)).
- Whole employment8,320.00 hours ÷ 256.00 weeks = 32.50 hours a week.
- Normal weekly hours32.50 hours a week.
- 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.
Western Australia works the average out separately for each period the leave built up in. This tool gives one whole-employment figure as a guide.
See the Western Australia 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
- Long Service Leave Act 1958
- Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety - Private Sector Labour Relations
Rules last reviewed 3 November 2026. Every figure comes from the Acts, the regulators, the ATO and the AASB; see sources and method.