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ACT Long Service Leave Calculator

Estimate long service leave in Australian Capital Territory — weeks accrued at 0.87 weeks per year of service, when the entitlement vests, what's paid out when you leave, and the tax withheld, under the Long Service Leave Act 1976 (ACT).

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Count continuous service with one employer

Long service leave builds on continuous service with the same employer (a business sale usually carries it over). Pay is your ordinary rate — overtime and most penalty loadings don't count. Portable industry schemes (construction, cleaning, community services) and public-sector employers have their own rules.
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Your base rate for normal hours — leave out overtime and one-off allowances

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Long Service Leave Summary

Australian Capital Territory — Long Service Leave Act 1976 (ACT)

Leave accrued

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ACT long service leave milestones

Accrual under the Long Service Leave Act 1976 (ACT): 0.87 weeks per year of continuous service, vesting as a full entitlement at 7 years, with a conditional pro-rata window from 5 years.

Years of serviceLeave accruedStatus
1 year0.87 weeksAccruing — not yet payable
5 years4.33 weeksPro-rata window (from 5 yrs)
7 years6.07 weeksFull entitlement
10 years8.67 weeksFull entitlement
15 years13 weeksFull entitlement
20 years17.33 weeksFull entitlement

Source: WorkSafe ACT. General private-sector rules — portable industry schemes and public-sector employers differ.

ACT Long Service Leave FAQs

Have a question we didn’t answer? Contact us →

How much long service leave do I get in ACT?

Under the Long Service Leave Act 1976 (ACT), leave accrues at 0.87 weeks per year of continuous service with one employer — 6.07 weeks when the entitlement vests at 7 years, and it keeps accruing at the same rate after that.

When am I entitled to take long service leave in ACT?

After 7 years of continuous service with the same employer. Continuous service usually survives a sale of the business, and approved unpaid leave typically pauses rather than breaks it — check WorkSafe ACT's guidance for your situation.

What happens to my long service leave if I resign in ACT?

ACT's pro-rata window opens at 5 years. Between 5 and 7 years, a payout depends on how employment ends. Between 5 and 7 years, the ACT pays pro-rata leave on resignation only when you resign because of illness, incapacity, or a domestic or other pressing necessity. Employer-initiated terminations such as redundancy generally qualify. From 7 years the leave is a full entitlement and is paid out on any termination.

How much is a ACT long service leave payout worth?

Weeks of untaken leave × your ordinary weekly pay. At 7 years on $2,000 a week of ordinary pay, that's 6.07 weeks — $12,133 before tax. Ordinary pay excludes overtime and most penalty loadings.

How is a long service leave payout taxed?

Unused leave paid out on termination is taxed under ATO Schedule 7, not as ordinary salary. For a genuine redundancy, invalidity or approved early-retirement scheme, withholding is a flat 32%. For any other departure, it's withheld at your marginal rate — the calculator estimates this by comparing tax with and without the payout on top of your annual income. No superannuation is payable on the payout.

How does the ACT's '1/5 of a month per year' formula work?

The ACT accrues long service leave at one fifth of a month per year of service. Converted at 52/12 weeks to the month, that's 0.87 weeks per year — 6.07 weeks when the entitlement vests at 7 years, and 8.67 weeks by 10 years. The ACT also has the earliest pro-rata window, opening at just 5 years.

Long service leave in other states

Every state legislates its own accrual rate, vesting point and pro-rata rules — compare them all on the long service leave calculator hub.

This is an estimate, not a ruling

Awards, agreements and portable schemes can override the Long Service Leave Act 1976 (ACT), and continuous-service questions (breaks, business sales, casual patterns) turn on your circumstances. Confirm your entitlement with WorkSafe ACT.

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