Long service leave calculator for every Australian state and territory
Long service leave is set by each state's Act, not the National Employment Standards. In most states an employee reaches the full entitlement after 10 years: 8.67 weeks in NSW, QLD, WA and TAS, 13 weeks in SA and NT, while VIC and the ACT pay after 7 years. Pro-rata leave is payable earlier on some terminations. Choose the state to calculate the weeks, hours and value.
Long service leave balance
10.85 weeks
The qualifying service period has been reached. This is the accrued balance; access to leave while still employed can depend on later service milestones and agreement with the employer.
- Balance hours
- 412.16
- Balance days
- 54.23
- Value
- $18,547.40
- Status
- full entitlement
Show breakdown
Calculation breakdown
- Service years
- 12.52
- Accrued weeks to date
- 10.85
- Status
- full entitlement
- Entitled weeks
- 10.85
- Balance weeks
- 10.85
- Balance hours
- 412.16
- Balance days
- 54.23
- Value
- $18,547.40
- Full entitlement date
- 3 Mar 2024
- Rule
- 8.6667 weeks after 10 years; pro-rata from 7 years (employer_termination_not_conduct_capacity_performance, resignation_illness_incapacity_domestic, death)
- Note
- The qualifying service period has been reached. This is the accrued balance; access to leave while still employed can depend on later service milestones and agreement with the employer.
| Service years | 12.52 |
|---|---|
| Accrued weeks to date | 10.85 |
| Status | full entitlement |
| Entitled weeks | 10.85 |
| Balance weeks | 10.85 |
| Balance hours | 412.16 |
| Balance days | 54.23 |
| Value | $18,547.40 |
| Full entitlement date | 3 Mar 2024 |
| Rule | 8.6667 weeks after 10 years; pro-rata from 7 years (employer_termination_not_conduct_capacity_performance, resignation_illness_incapacity_domestic, death) |
| Note | The qualifying service period has been reached. This is the accrued balance; access to leave while still employed can depend on later service milestones and agreement with the employer. |
Portable schemes, awards, interstate service and statutory averaging rules can change entitlements. Confirm which unpaid absences count before deducting days.
QLD: full entitlement. The balance is 10.85 weeks (412.16 hours), valued at $18,547.40 at the entered ordinary rate.
PDF for a finished report, Excel for a formatted workbook, CSV for plain data.
At a glance
- NSW / QLD
- 8.67 weeks after 10 years; conditional pro-rata from 5 years (NSW) or 7 (QLD)
- VIC
- Actual service / 60; any termination after 7 years
- WA
- 8.67 weeks after 10 years; resignation pro-rata from 7; misconduct exclusions
- TAS
- 8.67 weeks after 10 years; conditional pro-rata from 7; ordinary resignation excluded before 10
- SA
- 13 weeks after 10 years; completed years; pro-rata from 7 with exclusions
- NT
- 13 weeks after 10 years; completed years; conditional pro-rata from 7
- ACT
- 6.07 weeks after 7 years; conditional pro-rata from 5; completed months on termination
| State | Full qualification | Leave at qualification | Conditional pro-rata from | Dated source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 10 years | 8.67 weeks | 5 years | 2026-09-09 |
| Victoria | 7 years | Service weeks ÷ 60 | 7 years | 2026-09-09 |
| Queensland | 10 years | 8.67 weeks | 7 years | 2026-09-09 |
| Western Australia | 10 years | 8.67 weeks | 7 years | 2026-09-09 |
| South Australia | 10 years | 13 weeks | 7 years | 2026-09-09 |
| Tasmania | 10 years | 8.67 weeks | 7 years | 2026-09-09 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 7 years | 6.07 weeks | 5 years | 2026-09-09 |
| Northern Territory | 10 years | 13 weeks | 7 years | 2026-09-09 |
How it is calculated
Count service using calendar anniversaries, apply the selected jurisdiction’s accrual rule and assess the termination conditions. Deduct leave taken from payable entitlement before valuing ordinary hours.
service = calendar service after subtracting only absences excluded under the state rules
VIC: accrued weeks = eligible service days / 420
SA and NT: accrued weeks = completed years x 1.3
ACT termination: count completed years and months, excluding part months
Other ordinary cases: accrued weeks = service years x state accrual rate
TAS death: vested milestone entitlement plus service since that milestone / 420
Pro-rata before the full qualifying period requires a qualifying leaving reason
WA/NT serious misconduct: retain completed 10/15/20-year entitlement blocks only
balance weeks = max(0, eligible weeks - leave already taken)
value = balance weeks x supplied ordinary weekly hours x ordinary hourly rate
An accrued balance while employed does not establish that all leave is immediately available to take.- Rates as at 2026-09-09 from Long Service Leave — NSW
- Rates as at 2026-09-09 from Long Service Leave — VIC
- Rates as at 2026-09-09 from Long Service Leave — QLD
- Rates as at 2026-09-09 from Long Service Leave — WA
- Rates as at 2026-09-09 from Long Service Leave — SA
- Rates as at 2026-09-09 from Long Service Leave — TAS
- Rates as at 2026-09-09 from Long Service Leave — ACT
- Rates as at 2026-09-09 from Long Service Leave — NT
How is long service leave calculated in Australia?
Every state and territory has its own Long Service Leave Act (Queensland’s rules are in the Industrial Relations Act 2016), and each sets three things: the years of continuous service needed for the full entitlement, the weeks of leave at that point, and the point from which a proportionate payment is owed if employment ends earlier. Several states provide 8.67 weeks after ten years; SA and NT provide 13 weeks and count completed service years. Subsequent access to leave can depend on service milestones. The calculator takes the start and end dates, works out the years of continuous service, multiplies by the state’s rate, and applies the pro-rata rules to the reason for leaving. Leave is paid at the ordinary rate for the employee’s ordinary hours, so the dollar value is weeks × weekly hours × hourly rate.
When is pro-rata long service leave payable?
Before the full qualifying period, payment depends on both service and the reason employment ends. NSW and the ACT start conditional pro-rata at five years; Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania and NT start at seven. Ordinary resignation is covered in WA and SA, subject to misconduct and SA unlawful-resignation exclusions. Tasmania and NT do not generally pay an ordinary resignation before ten years: specified illness, incapacity, pressing necessity, qualifying retirement or employer termination is needed. Victoria pays accrued leave on any termination after seven years. In WA and NT, serious misconduct after ten years preserves only completed entitlement blocks, excluding the intervening pro-rata service.
How do casual and part-time employees accrue long service leave?
The same way, on their ordinary hours. Casuals accrue long service leave in every state as long as service is continuous under the Act’s rules (breaks of a certain length, or engagements on a regular and systematic basis, are defined per state). The difficulty is the pay rate and hours to use: the Acts set averaging rules, such as the greater of the average over the last 12 months, the last 5 years or the whole period, and some exclude casual loading. The calculator uses the average weekly hours you enter and says so; payroll systems that apply the state rules, such as MYOB Acumatica payroll, compute the average from the pay history.
What does not count as continuous service?
Continuous service is broken by resignation and re-engagement (unless the Act deems it continuous within a set period), and some unpaid absences reduce it without breaking it. Paid leave and public holidays generally count, while workers compensation absences are state-specific; unpaid parental leave counts in some states and not others; a period of unpaid leave agreed with the employer usually does not break service but may not count towards it. A transfer of business, where the new employer takes on the employee, carries service across. Enter unpaid days that do not count as service in the calculator, and check the state’s rule for parental leave.
| State | Full entitlement | Pro-rata from | Pro-rata triggered by | Accrual per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 8.67 weeks after 10 years | 5 years | Employer termination (not misconduct); resignation for illness, incapacity or domestic necessity; death | 0.867 weeks |
| VIC | 1/60th of service, taken after 7 years (8.70 weeks at 10 years) | 7 years | Any termination (the 2018 Act has no serious-misconduct forfeiture) | 0.870 weeks |
| QLD | 8.67 weeks after 10 years | 7 years | Employer termination other than for conduct, capacity or performance; illness or domestic necessity; death | 0.867 weeks |
| WA | 8.67 weeks after 10 years | 7 years | Qualifying termination; see state conditions | 0.867 weeks |
| SA | 13 weeks after 10 years | 7 years | Excludes serious misconduct and unlawful resignation before 10 years | 1.3 weeks per completed year |
| TAS | 8.67 weeks after 10 years | 7 years | Qualifying termination; see state conditions | 0.867 weeks |
| ACT | 6.07 weeks after 7 years | 5 years | Employer termination (not misconduct); resignation for illness or domestic necessity; death | 0.867 weeks |
| NT | 13 weeks after 10 years | 7 years | Specified leaving grounds; ordinary resignation excluded before 10 | 1.3 weeks per completed year |
Worked example (LSL-01): Queensland, full time 38 hours at $45.00, started 3 March 2014, as at 7 September 2026: 12.52 years of service × 0.867 = 10.85 weeks, 412.16 hours, $18,547.40, full entitlement reached 3 March 2024 (the 10th anniversary).
Service periods and payment conditions
SA and NT use completed years for this estimate. ACT termination payments count completed years and months. The accrued balance while employed may exceed leave currently available to take under the state milestone rules. Retirement requires the applicable statutory age condition; ordinary resignation is a separate option. In Tasmania, death benefits use a different basis. Use the linked regulator sources for coverage, excluded absences and statutory pay averaging.
Frequently asked questions
Is long service leave paid out on resignation?
Ordinary resignation can qualify after seven years in Victoria, WA and SA, subject to each state's rules. Before the full qualifying period, NSW, Queensland, Tasmania, the ACT and NT require specified leaving grounds; retirement can qualify in Tasmania, the ACT and NT when the statutory age condition is met. SA and NT count completed years. WA and NT have special misconduct rules for service after the last entitlement milestone.
Can long service leave be cashed out?
Payment on termination is separate from cashing out leave while employed. Cashing out is prohibited or conditional under state rules; written agreement alone is not sufficient in every jurisdiction. Check the linked state regulator guidance before arranging a payment instead of leave.
Do casual employees get long service leave?
Yes, in every state and territory, provided their service is continuous under the Act's rules for casuals. The entitlement is calculated on their ordinary hours, averaged over a period the Act specifies, and usually excludes the casual loading. The calculator uses the average weekly hours you enter; your payroll system computes the statutory average.
What pay rate is long service leave paid at?
The ordinary pay for the employee's ordinary hours at the time the leave is taken or paid out, excluding overtime and most allowances. Employees whose pay or hours have varied are paid at an averaged rate under the state's rule. Long service leave paid on termination is taxed as a lump sum; the calculator does not compute the tax.
How is long service leave recorded in payroll?
As an accruing leave type with the state's accrual rate on ordinary hours, a qualifying-period rule that controls when it can be taken, and a provision on the balance sheet. Payroll platforms with Australian leave rules, including MYOB Acumatica payroll, hold the state rule on the employee record and report the liability; the calculator is for a check or a one-off termination.
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Long service leave liabilities by state, accrued automatically on ordinary hours, is what payroll inside your ERP is for. Ask us about MYOB Acumatica payroll.
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