To help you understand what you might be entitled to, let’s look at what long service leave allowances are applicable in different states and territories in Australia, and how super could also apply depending on the situation.
What is long service leave?
Long service leave is a type of employment benefit that applies to eligible people who have been working for the same employer for a period of time. It’s a statutory benefit, which means it must be awarded to anyone who’s entitled to it.
For most employees, exactly how long they would need to work for one employer in order to be eligible depends on the state or territory in question. The amount of leave that an employee might be entitled to could also vary depending on the state or territory.
According to the Australian Fair Work Ombudsman, in most cases, long service leave is paid at the employee’s ordinary pay rate, which is the base pay rate for usual hours of work and doesn’t include things like shift loading or overtime.
Seasoned casual employees in some states and territories may be eligible for long service leave, in addition to full-time and part-time permanent employees, according to the Fair Work Ombudsman. But as we’ll see below, each state and territory has its own rules for how long service leave works.
Is super paid on long service leave?
Super is generally paid on long service leave, but this depends on how it’s taken. If an employee takes long service leave while still employed, the ATO says the employer must pay super, in addition to wages/salary. But, if the employee is paid a long service leave entitlement as a lump sum after ending their employment, they aren’t typically entitled to super in addition to a long service leave payment.
How much long service leave might I be due?
Here is a summary of long service entitlements in Australia at the time of writing, according to state/territory governments.
Long service leave ACT
- Minimum service required: 7 years
- Long service leave entitlement: 6.06 weeks for 7 years of service (plus 1/5 of a month for each subsequent year of service)
Long service leave NSW
- Minimum service required: 10 years
- Long service leave entitlement: 2 months for 10 years of service (plus an additional 1 month for every subsequent 5 years of service)
Long service leave NT
- Minimum service required: 10 years
- Long service leave entitlement: 1.3 weeks for each year of service
Long service leave QLD
- Minimum service required: 10 years
- Long service leave entitlement: 8 and 2/3 weeks for 10 years of service (plus an additional 4 and 1/3 weeks for every subsequent 5 years of service)
Long service leave SA
- Minimum service required: 10 years
- Long service leave entitlement: 13 weeks for 10 years of service (plus 1.3 weeks for each additional year of service)
Long service leave TAS
- Minimum service required: 10 years
- Long service leave entitlement: 8 and 2/3 weeks for 10 years of service (plus an additional 4 and 1/3 weeks for every subsequent 5 years of service)
Long service leave VIC
- Minimum service required: 7 years
- Long service leave entitlement: 1 week of leave for every 60 weeks of service
Long service leave WA
- Minimum service required: 10 years
- Long service leave entitlement: 8 and 2/3 weeks for 10 years of service (plus an additional 4 and 1/3 weeks for every subsequent 5 years of service)
The Employment Law Practical Handbook explains that your employment agreement or contract generally sets out the state that covers your employment. This may help clarify which long service leave rules apply in potentially ambiguous situations; for example, where an employee works across multiple states or territories, or is based in a different state or territory to their employer’s headquarters.
The Fair Work Ombudsman says that for some employees, if their employment agreement pre-dates 1 January, 2010, their long service leave entitlements may be set out in a federal ‘pre-modern award’, rather than by state or territory law. Consider checking with your employer and your state or territory government if you’re unsure about what long service leave you might be entitled to.
Are there exceptions to long service leave entitlements?
Long service leave entitlements are generally based on periods of uninterrupted service for a single employer, but there may be exceptions in some situations. For example, employees who have had a break in their employment may still be eligible if the duration of the break was under a certain amount of time. Breaks in employment caused by certain circumstances may also be excluded – for example, breaks due to some instances of industrial action. Any exceptions that might apply are also likely to depend on the state or territory in question.
The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that there may also be situations where employees in certain industries, like coal mining, could keep their long service leave entitlement even if their service is made up of work on different projects for more than a single employer. This is known as ‘portable long service leave’.
In some states or territories, certain employees may also become eligible for a portion (pro-rated) of the full long service leave entitlement before the required minimum service duration is reached. For example, in NSW after at least five but less than 10 years of service, employees may be entitled to a pro-rata payout of their accrued long service leave upon the termination of their employment.
Whether an employee builds up long service leave while they’re on parental leave or during other periods of unpaid leave again depends on the state or territory.
Compare Superannuation with Canstar
The table below displays some of the superannuation funds currently available on Canstar’s database for Australians aged 30 to 39 with a super balance of up to $55,000. The results shown are sorted by Star Rating (highest to lowest) and then alphabetically by provider name. Performance figures shown reflect net investment performance, i.e. net of investment tax, investment management fees and the applicable administration fees based on an account balance of $50,000. To learn more about performance information, click here. Use Canstar’s superannuation comparison selector to view a wider range of super funds. Canstar may earn a fee for referrals.
Fee, performance and asset allocation information shown in the table above have been determined according to the investment profile in the Canstar Superannuation Star Ratings methodology that matches the age group specified above.
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