Loading...
Loading...
People reading this page usually work these out too.
Victoria has one of the shortest qualifying periods in the country: 7 years of continuous employment with one employer, at which point about 6.07 weeks has accrued. Leave accrues at one week for every 60 weeks of employment, and once you pass 7 years the whole unused balance is paid out however the employment ends — resignation included.
Long service leave you take as leave is taxed like ordinary pay. This schedule is for an unused balance paid out when the job ends. See take-home pay on $95,000 for the year that includes it, or the final pay calculator for the whole termination payment.
Long service leave in Victoria comes from the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic), administered by Wage Inspectorate Victoria. It accrues at 0.8667 weeks for every year of continuous service with one employer. At 7 years you can take 6.0667 weeks of paid leave; after that, continuous accrual at one week for every 60 weeks of employment — no further waiting period.
| Continuous service | Weeks accrued | Weeks you can take | Worth at $1,600 a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 years | 4.33 | — | $6,933 |
| 7 years | 6.07 | 6.07 | $9,707 |
| 8 years | 6.93 | 6.93 | $11,093 |
| 10 years | 8.67 | 8.67 | $13,867 |
| 12 years | 10.40 | 10.40 | $16,640 |
| 15 years | 13.00 | 13.00 | $20,800 |
| 20 years | 17.33 | 17.33 | $27,733 |
| 25 years | 21.67 | 21.67 | $34,667 |
“Accrued” is what is paid out when employment ends and a pro-rata entitlement exists. “Can take” is what you can use as leave while still employed — a dash means the 7-year qualifying period has not been reached.
A pro-rata payment first becomes possible at 7 years of continuous service in Victoria. Below that, nothing is owed however the job ends.
From 7 years the accrued balance is paid out however the employment ends — resignation, dismissal, redundancy or death. Victoria's Act names no exception: after 7 years the unused balance must be paid in full on the final day of employment.
Whatever is owed is paid in your final pay, with unused annual leave and any notice. Work the whole thing out with the final pay calculator, and remember that annual leave is a separate entitlement handled by the annual leave calculator.
Full-time, part-time, casual, seasonal and fixed-term employees are all covered where the employment has been continuous. For casuals and seasonal workers, an absence of more than 12 weeks between engagements can break continuity unless one of the Act's exceptions applies.
Because the entitlement is measured in weeks, a part-timer earns the same number of weeks as a full-timer and is paid at their own ordinary weekly rate. Put your actual weekly pay into the calculator above rather than a full-time equivalent.
Long service leave cannot be cashed out in Victoria. It is an offence under the Act to give or receive payment instead of the employee actually taking the break from work.
Tax on long service leave is federal, so it is the same in Victoria as everywhere else. Leave you take is taxed like ordinary pay. An unused balance paid out at termination follows the ATO's unused-leave schedule:
| Leave accrued | Resignation, retirement or dismissal | Genuine redundancy or invalidity |
|---|---|---|
| Before 16 August 1978 | 5% taxed at marginal rates | 5% taxed at marginal rates |
| 16 Aug 1978 – 17 Aug 1993 | Flat 32% | Flat 32% |
| After 17 August 1993 | Marginal rate | Flat 32% |
For anyone who started work after 17 August 1993, only the last row applies. A 7-year VIC entitlement of 6.07 weeks on $1,600 a week is $9,707 gross, landing in a year worth about $92,907 — see take-home pay on $95,000 for what that leaves after tax. The calculator above applies the same split to your own dates.
If one of those describes you, the figures on this page are not yours. Wage Inspectorate Victoria is the regulator for the Act itself; for a federal award or agreement, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94.
VIC is one of eight jurisdictions with its own Act. The qualifying period runs from 7 years (Victoria and the ACT) to 10, and the rate from 0.8667 weeks a year to 1.3 (South Australia and the Northern Territory).
| State | Take leave at | Weeks then | Pro-rata from |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 10 years | 8.67 | 5 years |
| VIC | 7 years | 6.0667 | 7 years |
| QLD | 10 years | 8.6667 | 7 years |
| WA | 10 years | 8.667 | 7 years |
| SA | 10 years | 13 | 7 years |
| TAS | 10 years | 8.667 | 7 years |
| ACT | 7 years | 6.0667 | 5 years |
| NT | 10 years | 13 | 7 years |
The long service leave hub sets all eight side by side, including what each pays if you resign at 8 years.
8.67 weeks. Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic) accrues 0.8667 weeks for every year of continuous service, and you could already take leave from 7 years. Continuous accrual at one week for every 60 weeks of employment — no further waiting period.
6.07 weeks, and you can take it — VIC is one of only two jurisdictions where the qualifying period is 7 years rather than 10.
Yes. From 7 years of continuous service VIC pays the accrued balance however the employment ends — resignation, dismissal, redundancy or death.
Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic) accrues 0.8667 weeks for each year of continuous service, paid at your ordinary weekly rate at the time you take the leave or the job ends. Part years count, down to the day. The Act words it as one week for every 60 weeks of employment, which is the same thing.
Full-time, part-time, casual, seasonal and fixed-term employees are all covered where the employment has been continuous. For casuals and seasonal workers, an absence of more than 12 weeks between engagements can break continuity unless one of the Act's exceptions applies.
Long service leave cannot be cashed out in Victoria. It is an offence under the Act to give or receive payment instead of the employee actually taking the break from work.
Tax is federal, so it is the same in every state. If your service started after 17 August 1993, the payout is taxed at your marginal rate when you resign, retire or are dismissed. If you leave through genuine redundancy, invalidity or an early retirement scheme, the ATO withholds a flat 32% instead. No tax is withheld from unused leave paid after an employee's death.
Wage Inspectorate Victoria lists: employees under a federal award or workplace agreement that contains its own long service leave provisions; building and construction employees, whose entitlement comes from the LeavePlus (formerly CoINVEST) scheme. If you are in one of those groups, your long service leave comes from somewhere else — check with the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94 or your scheme.
Last verified: 28 August 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Employment & Workplace Rights Editor
B.Com (Hons), Cert IV Financial Planning
Penny is a financial journalist and workplace compliance specialist with over a decade of experience writing about Australian employment law, Fair Work entitlements, and payroll. She has contributed to publications covering industrial relations and personal finance, and previously advised small businesses on award interpretation and pay compliance.
Areas of Expertise