Australian Long Service Leave Calculator 🇦🇺
Select your state or territory, enter your years of service, and specify your ordinary hours per week (default is 38). The calculator will show your leave entitlement in both weeks and hours. For pro-rata calculations, check the pro-rata option and enter your total service period.
1. What long service leave actually is
Long service leave (LSL) is a block of paid time off that rewards "recognised continuous service" with the same employer. The entitlement is set out in eight separate Acts, one for each state and territory, so the rules differ depending on where you work. All Acts express the entitlement in weeks, and the same weekly figure applies to full-time, part-time and casual staff.
2. Am I covered?
Most private-sector employees are covered unless a federal award, enterprise agreement or industry-specific portable scheme says otherwise. Casuals qualify in every jurisdiction once they meet the service test.
3. How LSL accrues
The Acts fall into two patterns:
- Table A jurisdictions (NSW, Vic, Qld, WA, Tas, ACT) – leave builds at about 0.8667 weeks a year and crystallises when you hit the first threshold (seven years in Victoria and ACT, ten years elsewhere)
- Table B jurisdictions (SA and NT) – you receive 13 weeks after ten years, then 1.3 weeks for every further completed year
4. Weeks versus hours
Payroll has to convert statutory weeks into hours so you can book single days off. One week equals your ordinary weekly hoursat the time leave is taken (for full-timers usually 38 hours). Example: 8.667 weeks × 38 hours = 329.334 hours.
If your hours vary, the Acts use an average—often the greater of the last 12 months, five years, or entire service—to ensure part-timers and casuals are not short-changed.
5. State and territory snapshot
| Jurisdiction | First entitlement | After that | Pro-rata payout if you leave early | Cash-out? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 8.667 weeks after 10 yrs | 4.333 weeks every 5 yrs | 5–10 yrs for illness, domestic necessity, etc. | No |
| Victoria | 6.0667 weeks after 7 yrs | accrues continuously at 0.8667 wks / yr | None until 7 yrs; then always payable | No |
| Queensland | 8.667 weeks after 10 yrs | 0.8667 wks per extra year | 7–10 yrs for illness, incapacity, domestic necessity, etc. | Yes (with Commission or agreement) |
| Western Australia | 8.667 weeks after 10 yrs | 4.333 weeks every 5 yrs | 7–10 yrs on resignation, redundancy, or employer termination (not serious misconduct) | No |
| South Australia | 13 weeks after 10 yrs | 1.3 wks each further year | 7–10 yrs for any reason except serious misconduct | Yes (once entitled) |
| Tasmania | 8.667 weeks after 10 yrs | 4.333 weeks every 5 yrs | Pro-rata after 7 yrs; full pro-rata for entire service after 10 yrs | No specific cash-out right |
| Northern Territory | 13 weeks after 10 yrs | 1.3 wks per year for next 5-yr block | Pro-rata after 7 yrs | No |
| ACT | 6.0667 weeks after 7 yrs | 0.8667 wks per extra year | 5–7 yrs for retirement, illness, death, etc. | Yes (once entitled) |
6. Taking the leave
- Minimum chunks – Most Acts now allow single-day absences if employer and employee agree. Queensland explicitly permits it; NSW formalised flexible leave in March 2022.
- Employer direction – Several Acts let employers give notice (60 days in ACT and SA, 3 months in Qld) requiring staff to take accrued leave. WA's Act, by contrast, forbids compulsory direction.
- Public holidays – NSW, Qld, WA and ACT top up an extra day if a public holiday falls during LSL, but SA does not.
7. Payment calculation basics
- Start with ordinary pay, including over-award allowances and casual loading, but excluding overtime and most penalties.
- Convert weeks to hours using ordinary weekly hours (or the relevant averaging formula).
- Add averaged commissions or bonuses where the Act demands it (QLD, SA, ACT, NT all have explicit formulas).
- Pay at that rate either when leave starts or, if employment ends, within the statutory payment window (immediate in NSW, three days in Qld, "as soon as practicable" in ACT).
8. Pro-rata on termination
Leaving before the main threshold can still trigger a payout if you fall within the pro-rata rules above. Where allowed, the money is based onall completed service including part-years, months and days (Qld and NSW) or completed years only (SA, WA, ACT).
9. Key tips for employees
- Keep records of start dates, breaks in service and changes to hours so your entitlement can be verified.
- Check your award or agreement—some industries have portable LSL schemes that override state Acts.
- Negotiate flexibility early if you want to use LSL for regular "top-up" days rather than a long holiday.
10. Key tips for employers
- Accrue leave in hours inside payroll to handle variable rosters smoothly.
- Review averaging settings after promotions, parental leave, or big roster changes.
- Pay on time at termination; every Act imposes penalties for late payment.
Long service leave is a uniquely Australian safety-net that rewards loyalty. Understanding the nuances in each jurisdiction ensures both workers and employers get it right—avoiding costly disputes and making sure well-earned breaks are taken and paid properly.