How long service leave works
Long service leave rewards staying with one employer for the long term. It’s set by state and territory law, separate from the four weeks of annual leave in the National Employment Standards, and it builds up on your continuous service. Once you reach the milestone, usually 10 years, you can take it as paid leave. If you leave after the earlier pro-rata point, the unused portion is often paid out.
Long service leave by state and territory
The two things that differ most are how many weeks you get and when pro-rata kicks in. Most states give 8.67 weeks at 10 years, but South Australia and the Northern Territory give 13. NSW is the only state where pro-rata starts at five years rather than seven.
| State / territory | Full entitlement | Pro-rata from |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 8.67 wks at 10 yrs | 5 years |
| VIC | 8.67 wks at 10 yrs | 7 years |
| QLD | 8.67 wks at 10 yrs | 7 years (conditional) |
| WA | 8.67 wks at 10 yrs | 7 years |
| SA | 13 wks at 10 yrs | 7 years |
| TAS | 8.67 wks at 10 yrs | 7 years (conditional) |
| ACT | 8.67 wks at 10 yrs | 7 years |
| NT | 13 wks at 10 yrs | 7 years |
Standard private-sector rules. Awards, enterprise agreements and some industries (like construction) have their own schemes, so check your state or territory authority. This tool is a guide, not legal advice.
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Simon is the founder of Orbit Money, a tool that helps people track subscriptions and recurring spend. He builds Orbit's free money calculators and writes about personal finance for Australian and UK readers.
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