Work out half pay or double pay
Long Service Leave Act 1958 (WA)Half pay in Western Australia: only if your employer agrees
An employee may ask to take twice the period of long service leave at half their ordinary pay, for example 8 weeks becomes 16 weeks. The employer does not have to agree. (Long Service Leave Act 1958 s 9(1C))
Double pay in Western Australia: only if your employer agrees
An employee may ask to take half the period of long service leave at twice their ordinary pay, for example 8 weeks becomes 4 weeks at double pay. The employer does not have to agree.
An award, enterprise agreement or public-sector rule can allow more than the Act. See the Western Australia 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
- Long Service Leave Act 1958 (WA), PCO 04-m0-00 as at 31 Jan 2025
- Guide to the WA Long Service Leave Act 1958 (DEMIRS, Oct 2026)
Rules last reviewed 3 November 2026. Every figure comes from the Acts, the regulators, the ATO and the AASB; see sources and method.