Long service leave for part-time employees in Western Australia
Western Australia's Act defines an employee as any person employed to do work for hire or reward, a definition broad enough to include part-time staff. Leave pay rests on the employee's own normal weekly hours at the ordinary time rate when the leave starts, and where hours have varied, normal weekly hours are the average worked over the period, from hours that can be worked out.
- By Book Keeping Pros
- Sources checked 15 Oct 2026
The rules in Western Australia
| What it is | Value | When it applies | Where it is set |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Act covers any person employed to do work for hire or reward | Yes | As published on 31 January 2025 | s 4(1): definition of employee, person employed for hire or reward |
| Hours and rate that set an employee's long service leave pay | The employee's own normal weekly hours, at the ordinary time rate when the leave starts | As published on 31 January 2025 | s 7(1): ordinary pay |
| Normal weekly hours of an employee whose hours have varied | The average weekly hours worked over the period, from hours that can be worked out | As published on 31 January 2025 | s 7(2): employees whose hours have varied |
| The employer must record the weekly hours each employee works | Yes | As published on 31 January 2025 | s 26(1)(ba): weekly hours worked |
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
- The WA Act has the employer record the weekly hours each employee works, so a part-time employee's hours belong in the books week by week, not just as an agreed pattern.
- Where hours have varied, the average is built from hours that can be worked out, which makes a complete weekly record the base that average stands on.
- The rate is the ordinary time rate when the leave starts, so the rate history needs to show the rate in force on that date and when each change to it took effect. Whether an employee's hours count as having varied, and what their leave comes to, are questions for your accountant or Wageline.
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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