Long service leave in New South Wales
In New South Wales, the Long Service Leave Act 1955 gives employees paid leave after a long period with one employer. The figures here come from NSW Industrial Relations' guide to the Act.
- By Book Keeping Pros
- Sources checked 15 Oct 2026
Leave after 10 years
2 months
- Years of service for the full entitlement
- 10 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 | Part 5.3, item 1 |
| Years of service for the full entitlement | 10 years | Part 5.2, first milestone |
| Leave after 10 years | 2 months | Part 5.2, leave at the first milestone |
| Leave for each further 5 years | 1 month | Part 5.2, leave at each later milestone |
| Weeks in a month of leave | 4 1/3 weeks | Part 5.1, Step 8 |
| Part years after 15 years count on termination from | 1 March 2026 | Q41 and Q42 |
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 employer ends the employment for any reason other than serious misconduct, including redundancy
- The employee dies
How it works in New South Wales
- This page covers the general Act. Some awards, enterprise agreements and portable schemes have long service leave rules of their own.
- Leave is counted in months. The guide converts a month of leave into weeks as the table shows.
- Once the full entitlement is reached, more leave is due for each further block of service.
- An employee who leaves after reaching the full entitlement is paid for leave not yet taken, whatever the reason they leave.
- An employee who leaves after the pro rata period in the table, but before the full entitlement, is paid a proportion only for the reasons listed below.
- NSW Industrial Relations' current guide counts part years of service after the later milestones when employment ends. The date it applies from is in the table, and NSW Industrial Relations has said it will not apply the guide to remediations already completed.
General information
Sources
- Long Service Leave Guide (NSW), March 2026
NSW Industrial Relations. First published March 2026, released 2 March 2026. Checked 15 October 2026.
© State of New South Wales 2026 Licence: All rights reserved, State of New South Wales.
- Long service leave webinar, 4 March 2026: questions and answers
NSW Industrial Relations. Answers to the 4 March 2026 webinar, released 21 April 2026. Checked 15 October 2026.
© State of New South Wales, licensed under CC BY 4.0 Licence: CC BY 4.0.
- Long service leave
NSW Industrial Relations. Page modified 13 October 2026 (dcterms.modified metadata), released 13 October 2026. Checked 15 October 2026.
© State of New South Wales, licensed under CC BY 4.0 Licence: CC BY 4.0.
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.