Long service leave for casual employees in the Australian Capital Territory
The ACT's Act covers casual employees, and a casual who comes back to the same employer inside the months the table allows keeps their service continuous. A longer break caused by the seasonal nature of the work keeps it continuous too, but neither kind of break is counted in the total period of service.
- By Book Keeping Pros
- Sources checked 15 Oct 2026
The rules in Australian Capital Territory
| What it is | Value | When it applies | Where it is set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual employees are covered by the Act | Yes | As published on 19 November 2025 | Dictionary, definition of employee, para (a)(iii) |
| Months of average weekly hours used to work out a casual's leave pay | 12 months | As published on 19 November 2025 | s 7(2): pay for part-time and casual employees |
| Years of pay averaged for someone who left full-time work in the 2 years before entitlement | 5 years | As published on 19 November 2025 | s 7(3): change from full-time employment |
| Months of average weekly hours used for the payment when employment ends | 12 months | As published on 19 November 2025 | s 11D(b): payment when employment ends |
| Months within which a return to the same employer keeps service continuous | 2 months | As published on 19 November 2025 | s 2G(2)(e): return to the employer's service within 2 months |
| A break ended by a return within 2 months, or a seasonal break, counts in the total period of service | No | As published on 19 November 2025 | s 2G(5): interruptions not counted in the period of service |
| A break longer than 2 months caused by the seasonal nature of the work keeps service continuous | Yes | As published on 19 November 2025 | s 2G(3): interruptions caused by seasonal work |
Each rule is read from the source and provision shown; the sources are listed below. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
What it means for your books
- Because a break joins service up without adding to it, the books need the date each break began and the date the casual came back. The service total then leaves out the time between while treating the employment as unbroken.
- A break that runs past the months in the table still keeps service continuous when the seasonal nature of the work caused it, so the seasonal reason is noted beside the break's dates.
- A casual's leave pay, and the payment when employment ends, each draw on the weekly hours averaged across the months the table gives. A week-by-week record of a casual's hours, kept for at least that span, is what both are averaged from.
- Where a casual's full-time work ended within the years before entitlement that the table's rule names, pay is averaged over a longer span of years instead. The date the full-time work ended and the pay records across the longer span sit in the employee's file; questions about a particular casual go to WorkSafe ACT or your accountant.
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).
Bookkeeping for employers
Keep your books ready for the questions employers get asked
We look after day-to-day bookkeeping for businesses across Australia, so your records are up to date when you need them.