Long service leave for casual employees in the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory's Act includes casual employees, and the rules in the table are its general ones, not special rules for casual work. Weekly hours that are not set are averaged over the period the table gives, with overtime left out, and time absent without paid leave does not count as service.
- By Book Keeping Pros
- Sources checked 15 Oct 2026
The rules in Northern Territory
| What it is | Value | When it applies | Where it is set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual employees are covered by the Act | Yes | As published on 14 October 2015 | s 7(1): definition of employee |
| Period over which weekly hours are averaged when they are not set | 1 year | As published on 14 October 2015 | s 11(1), hours of work per week, para (b): hours not set |
| Overtime hours count in the weekly hours used for leave pay | No | As published on 14 October 2015 | s 11(1), hours of work per week: overtime excluded |
| Months within which re-employment by the same employer keeps service continuous | 2 months | As published on 14 October 2015 | s 12(4)(e): re-employment within 2 months |
| Time absent without paid leave counts as service | No | As published on 14 October 2015 | s 12(5): absence without paid leave |
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
- Where weekly hours are not set, the average is drawn from timesheets covering at least the period in the table. Timesheets that keep overtime in a column of its own let it be left out, as the table's overtime rule requires.
- If the same employer re-employs someone inside the span of months the table shows, their service stays continuous, so the date each employment ended and the date it resumed need to be on file.
- Time absent without paid leave does not count as service, so unpaid absences are recorded with their dates and left out of the service total. Questions about a particular employee's service go to the Northern Territory Government or your accountant.
General information
Sources
- Long Service Leave Act 1981 (NT), reprint as in force at 14 October 2015
Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, Northern Territory. Reprint as in force at 14 October 2015, released 14 October 2015. Checked 15 October 2026.
© Northern Territory of Australia Licence: NT Legislation terms of use: copyright, Northern Territory of Australia.
- Long service leave
Northern Territory Government (NT.GOV.AU). Page modified 26 February 2025 (dcterms.modified metadata), released 26 February 2025. Checked 15 October 2026.
© Northern Territory of Australia Licence: NT.GOV.AU copyright notice: copyright, Northern Territory of Australia (fair dealing only unless a Creative Commons licence is stated).
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.