Long service leave in South Australia
In South Australia, the Long Service Leave Act 1987 (SA) gives long service leave for continuous service with one employer. The values in the table come from SafeWork SA's guidance on the Act.
- By Book Keeping Pros
- Sources checked 15 Oct 2026
Leave for the first 10 years
13 weeks
- Years of service for the full entitlement
- 10 years
- Years of service for a pro rata payment on leaving
- 7 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 | 7 years | Pro-rata leave following resignation, termination or redundancy |
| Years of service for the full entitlement | 10 years | Long service leave entitlement, qualifying period |
| Leave for the first 10 years | 13 weeks | Long service leave entitlement, leave for the first 10 years |
| Leave for each later year | 1.3 weeks | Long service leave entitlement, leave for each later year |
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, for any reason
- 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 South Australia
- South Australia does not wait for further blocks. The Act gives a set amount of leave for the service up to the full entitlement, then adds a smaller amount for each later year, both shown in the table.
- Only completed years count in South Australia. A part year at the end of employment adds nothing, whether the payment is the full entitlement or a pro rata amount.
- From the pro rata period until the full entitlement, a proportion is paid however the employment ends, with two exceptions: dismissal for serious and wilful misconduct, and the worker unlawfully ending the employment.
- Whether misconduct was serious and wilful, or a resignation amounted to unlawfully ending the employment, turns on a legal finding that this page does not make.
- Once the full entitlement is reached the leave can be taken, and every later completed year adds the amount in the table to what is available.
- These are the general Act's rules. Portable schemes for some industries, and awards or agreements with their own long service leave terms, are outside this page.
General information
Sources
- Long service leave: pro-rata entitlement
SafeWork SA (Government of South Australia). Page modified 10 September 2026, released 10 September 2026. Checked 15 October 2026.
© Government of South Australia, licensed under CC BY 3.0 AU Licence: CC BY 3.0 AU.
- Long service leave: accruing leave
SafeWork SA (Government of South Australia). Page modified 20 September 2026, released 20 September 2026. Checked 15 October 2026.
© Government of South Australia, licensed under CC BY 3.0 AU Licence: CC BY 3.0 AU.
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