Long service leave in Western Australia
In Western Australia, the Long Service Leave Act 1958 (WA) builds long service leave in blocks of continuous service with one employer. The weeks in each block are read from s 8 of the Act.
- By Book Keeping Pros
- Sources checked 15 Oct 2026
Leave after 10 years
8 2/3 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 | s 8(3) |
| Years of service for the full entitlement | 10 years | s 8(2)(a), qualifying period |
| Leave after 10 years | 8 2/3 weeks | s 8(2)(a), amount of leave |
| Leave for each further 5 years | 4 1/3 weeks | s 8(2)(b) |
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 Western Australia
- Western Australian leave is earned in blocks. The first falls due at the full entitlement period, then another follows each further block of service, and the table gives the weeks in each.
- While employment continues, leave for a block can be taken once that block is complete. Service partway into the next block does not yet give leave that can be taken.
- When employment ends after the full entitlement, the payment counts completed years of service only. A part year after the last anniversary is left out of the calculation.
- Between the pro rata period and the full entitlement, WA pays a proportion whatever the reason employment ends, even a plain resignation, with one exception: dismissal for serious misconduct.
- Serious misconduct also limits the payment after the full entitlement. An employee dismissed for it is paid only for the blocks fully accrued, not for the years served since the last one.
- Earlier versions of the Act set different rules. The values here are for employment ending in the period the table shows, not for older cases.
General information
Sources
- Long Service Leave Act 1958 (WA), version 04-m0-00
Parliamentary Counsel's Office, Western Australia. Version 04-m0-00, as at 31 January 2025, released 30 January 2025. Checked 15 October 2026.
Sourced from the Western Australian Legislation website (www.legislation.wa.gov.au), licensed under CC BY 4.0 Licence: CC BY 4.0.
- Long service leave in Western Australia
Wageline (Private Sector Labour Relations, Western Australia). Page last updated 13 May 2026, released 13 May 2026. Checked 15 October 2026.
© State of Western Australia Licence: WA.gov.au terms of use: copyright, State of Western Australia (personal, educational or in-house non-commercial use with attribution).
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