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NSW Long Service Leave Calculator

Estimate long service leave in New South Wales — 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 1955 (NSW).

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Before you start

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.
$

Your base rate for normal hours — leave out overtime and one-off allowances

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Long Service Leave Summary

New South Wales — Long Service Leave Act 1955 (NSW)

Leave accrued

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NSW long service leave milestones

Accrual under the Long Service Leave Act 1955 (NSW): 0.87 weeks per year of continuous service, vesting as a full entitlement at 10 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 weeksPro-rata window (from 5 yrs)
10 years8.67 weeksFull entitlement
15 years13 weeksFull entitlement
20 years17.33 weeksFull entitlement

Source: NSW Industrial Relations. General private-sector rules — portable industry schemes and public-sector employers differ.

NSW Long Service Leave FAQs

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

How much long service leave do I get in NSW?

Under the Long Service Leave Act 1955 (NSW), leave accrues at 0.87 weeks per year of continuous service with one employer — 8.67 weeks when the entitlement vests at 10 years, and it keeps accruing at the same rate after that.

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

After 10 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 NSW Industrial Relations's guidance for your situation.

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

NSW's pro-rata window opens at 5 years. Between 5 and 10 years, a payout depends on how employment ends. Between 5 and 10 years, NSW 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 10 years the leave is a full entitlement and is paid out on any termination.

How much is a NSW long service leave payout worth?

Weeks of untaken leave × your ordinary weekly pay. At 10 years on $2,000 a week of ordinary pay, that's 8.67 weeks — $17,333 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.

What counts as a 'domestic or other pressing necessity' in NSW?

It covers resignations you're effectively forced into — your own illness or incapacity, caring for a sick family member, relocating for a partner's job, or similar circumstances. If you resign between 5 and 10 years for one of these reasons, NSW pays pro-rata long service leave; a purely voluntary resignation in that window generally gets nothing.

How do NSW's '2 months' translate into weeks?

The Long Service Leave Act 1955 grants 2 months of leave at 10 years, and defines a month as 4⅓ weeks — so 2 months is 8.67 weeks. Each further 5 years of service adds another month (4.33 weeks).

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 1955 (NSW), and continuous-service questions (breaks, business sales, casual patterns) turn on your circumstances. Confirm your entitlement with NSW Industrial Relations.

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