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People reading this page usually work these out too.
Leave can be taken after 10 years of continuous employment, when 8.667 weeks has accrued, with another 4.333 weeks every 5 years after that. WA is unusually generous at the exit: after 7 years of continuous employment a full-time, part-time, casual or seasonal employee is paid pro-rata long service leave when the job ends by resignation, dismissal, redundancy or death — the only exception being dismissal for serious misconduct.
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 Western Australia comes from the Long Service Leave Act 1958 (WA), administered by Private Sector Labour Relations (Wageline). It accrues at 0.8667 weeks for every year of continuous service with one employer. At 10 years you can take 8.667 weeks of paid leave; after that, a further 4.333 weeks for every 5 years of continuous employment after the first 10.
| Continuous service | Weeks accrued | Weeks you can take | Worth at $1,600 a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 years | 4.33 | — | $6,934 |
| 7 years | 6.07 | — | $9,707 |
| 8 years | 6.93 | — | $11,094 |
| 10 years | 8.67 | 8.67 | $13,867 |
| 12 years | 10.40 | 8.67 | $16,641 |
| 15 years | 13.00 | 13.00 | $20,801 |
| 20 years | 17.33 | 17.33 | $27,734 |
| 25 years | 21.67 | 21.67 | $34,668 |
“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 10-year qualifying period has not been reached.
A pro-rata payment first becomes possible at 7 years of continuous service in Western Australia. 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. The only exception is dismissal for serious misconduct, and the onus is on the employer to prove it was warranted.
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 and seasonal employees all accrue under the WA Act. All hours worked up to the last day, including a worked notice period, count towards continuous employment.
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.
WA long service leave can be cashed out by agreement between the employer and employee once the entitlement has fully accrued.
Tax on long service leave is federal, so it is the same in Western Australia 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 10-year WA entitlement of 8.67 weeks on $1,600 a week is $13,867 gross, landing in a year worth about $97,067 — 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. Private Sector Labour Relations (Wageline) is the regulator for the Act itself; for a federal award or agreement, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94.
WA 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 1958 (WA) accrues 0.8667 weeks for every year of continuous service, and 10 years is the point at which you can take it — 8.667 weeks. A further 4.333 weeks for every 5 years of continuous employment after the first 10.
6.07 weeks has accrued, but WA does not let you take long service leave until 10 years. Seven years does matter for another reason: it is the point at which a pro-rata payment becomes possible if the job ends.
Yes. From 7 years of continuous service WA pays the accrued balance however the employment ends — resignation, dismissal, redundancy or death, the only exception being dismissal for serious misconduct.
Long Service Leave Act 1958 (WA) 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.
Full-time, part-time, casual and seasonal employees all accrue under the WA Act. All hours worked up to the last day, including a worked notice period, count towards continuous employment.
WA long service leave can be cashed out by agreement between the employer and employee once the entitlement has fully accrued.
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.
Private Sector Labour Relations (Wageline) lists: employees whose long service leave comes from a federal award or agreement with its own provisions; employees in a portable long service leave 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.
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