Long service leave in the ACT
In the Australian Capital Territory, the Long Service Leave Act 1976 (ACT) measures long service leave in months for each year of service, and WorkSafe ACT's calculation guidelines convert those months to weeks.
- By Book Keeping Pros
- Sources checked 15 Oct 2026
Leave for each year of service
one fifth of a month
- Years of service for the full entitlement
- 7 years
- Years of service for a pro rata payment on leaving for a listed reason
- 5 years
Long service leave rules
Checked for employment ending 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2027
| What it is | Value | Where it is set |
|---|---|---|
| Years of service for a pro rata payment on leaving for a listed reason | 5 years | s 11C(1)(b) |
| Years of service for the full entitlement | 7 years | s 3(1) |
| Leave for each year of service | one fifth of a month | s 4 |
| Weeks in a month of leave | 4 1/3 weeks | Calculation formula: months of leave to weeks |
Each value is read from the source and provision shown; the sources are listed below. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
Who is paid before the full entitlement
- The employee resigns because of illness, incapacity, or a domestic or other pressing necessity
- The employee leaves on or after reaching retirement age
- The employer ends the employment for any reason other than serious misconduct, including redundancy
- The employee dies
How it works in Australian Capital Territory
- The ACT measures leave in months. Each year of service earns the fraction of a month shown in the table, under s 4 of the Act, rather than a set number of weeks.
- WorkSafe ACT's calculation guidelines turn those months into weeks by multiplying by the weeks in a month given in the table, which is how weeks of leave are worked out for the territory.
- The full entitlement in the ACT comes after a shorter period than in most states and territories. From that point leave can be taken, based on the completed years of service.
- Once the qualifying period has passed, the leave credit is paid out when employment ends, whatever the reason. WorkSafe ACT's guidelines count completed years for this; the Act itself does not say whether a final part year is paid.
- After the pro rata period but short of the qualifying period, a proportion is paid only for the reasons listed. It is counted in completed months of service, not whole years, under s 11C.
- Within that window, leaving by plain resignation or being dismissed for serious misconduct brings no pro rata payment, as neither is among the reasons s 11C lists.
General information
Sources
- Long Service Leave Act 1976 (ACT), Republication No 29
ACT Parliamentary Counsel's Office. Republication No 29, effective 19 November 2025, released 19 November 2025. Checked 15 October 2026.
© ACT Government, ACT Legislation Register Licence: ACT Legislation Register copyright policy: copyright, ACT Government.
- Long service leave calculation guidelines
WorkSafe ACT. Undated guideline, listed on a page last modified 11 December 2020, released 11 December 2020. Checked 15 October 2026.
© Australian Capital Territory Licence: WorkSafe ACT copyright notice: copyright, Australian Capital Territory (unaltered reproduction for personal, educational or non-commercial use).
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