Long service leave calculator, Northern Territory
See how much long service leave you have earned in Northern Territory, and what it is worth if it is paid out — under the Long Service Leave Act 1981 (NT).
The calculator
Long service leave in Northern Territory is set by the Long Service Leave Act 1981 (NT), not by the national system — so the qualifying period and the amount you accrue differ from other states.
Unbroken service with the same employer. Approved leave usually counts; check the exceptions below.
Your ordinary hours, excluding overtime. Most states use your pay at the time you take the leave.
This is an estimate, not financial or legal advice.
Full rate table
The NT entitlement in full
| Governing Act | Long Service Leave Act 1981 (NT) |
|---|---|
| Qualifying period | 10 years of continuous service |
| Leave at the qualifying point | 13 weeks |
| Accrual after that | 1.3 weeks for each further year |
| Pro-rata on resignation | Resignation: from 7 years. Section 12(2) pays 1.3 weeks for each completed year between 7 and 10 years where the employee ceases on or after reaching retirement age, or on account of illness, incapacity, or domestic or other pressing necessity of such a nature as to justify it. A plain resignation before 10 years attracts nothing. Only completed years count, so 8.5 years is paid as 8. |
| Pro-rata when the employer ends it | Termination: from 7 years. Section 12(2) pays 1.3 weeks for each completed year between 7 and 10 years where the employer terminates the employment for a reason other than serious misconduct. Only completed years count. |
Worked example
Ten years of continuous service — 1.3 weeks for each completed year, under section 8
10 years of continuous service in Northern Territory earns 13 weeks of long service leave (65 working days). At $1500 a week that is $19,500.00 before tax.
Checked against https://nt.gov.au/employ/for-employees-in-nt/holidays-and-leave/long-service-leave. This figure is re-computed from the rule file on every build, so a page that no longer reproduces its own source example never ships.
How it’s worked out
How long service leave is worked out here
Under the Long Service Leave Act 1981 (NT), you reach the qualifying point at 10 years of continuous service with the same employer, and that earns 13 weeks of leave. Each further year adds 1.3 weeks. Accrual is continuous — the qualifying point is when the leave becomes payable, not when it starts building up, which is why a pro-rata payment before that point is worked out on the same per-year rate.
The Northern Territory matches South Australia's scale — 1.3 weeks for each completed year of continuous service, so 13 weeks at 10 years — and the right to take further leave arises on completing each subsequent 5 years. Section 12(2) counts only completed years for a pro-rata payment, so eight and a half years is paid as eight. This calculator assumes unbroken continuous service with one employer and does not model the portable scheme for the community services sector.
Leaving before 10 years
- If you resign: from 7 years. Section 12(2) pays 1.3 weeks for each completed year between 7 and 10 years where the employee ceases on or after reaching retirement age, or on account of illness, incapacity, or domestic or other pressing necessity of such a nature as to justify it. A plain resignation before 10 years attracts nothing. Only completed years count, so 8.5 years is paid as 8.
- If your employer ends the job: from 7 years. Section 12(2) pays 1.3 weeks for each completed year between 7 and 10 years where the employer terminates the employment for a reason other than serious misconduct. Only completed years count.
Read before you rely on this
What this does not account for
- Continuous service is a legal test, not just elapsed time. Unpaid leave, casual gaps, transfers between related employers and periods of industrial action can each affect it, and this calculator assumes unbroken service.
- Ordinary weekly pay excludes overtime, and several Acts require averaging where your hours or pay have changed — a recent change from full-time to part-time in particular.
- An enterprise agreement, award or contract can give more than the Long Service Leave Act 1981 (NT), but never less. If yours does, the better entitlement applies and this figure will be low.
- Portable long service leave schemes cover building and construction, contract cleaning, security and community services work in several states. Those schemes have their own registers and rules, and are not modelled here.
- Whether a resignation qualifies as illness, incapacity or pressing necessity is a judgement the relevant authority makes, not something a calculator can decide.
- Long service leave paid out on termination is taxed differently to leave taken while employed. This shows the gross amount only.
Questions
Common questions
- How much long service leave do I get in the Northern Territory?
- Section 8 gives 1.3 weeks for each completed year of continuous service once you reach 10 years — so 13 weeks at the 10-year mark, matching South Australia. The right to take further leave arises on completing each subsequent 5 years. Enter your service above for the exact figure.
- Can I be paid out if I leave before 10 years?
- Section 12(2) pays 1.3 weeks for each completed year between 7 and 10 years, but only where you cease on or after reaching retirement age, your employer ends the job for a reason other than serious misconduct, or you leave on account of illness, incapacity, or a domestic or other pressing necessity. Only completed years count, so 8 years and 6 months is paid as 8 years.
- Does the Northern Territory count part-years towards a pro-rata payment?
- No. Section 12(2) pays 1.3 weeks for each completed year of service, so the months past your last full year are dropped. Someone leaving at 8 years and 11 months is paid for 8 years. That differs from the ACT, where completed months are counted, and it can be worth timing a departure around an anniversary.
- What counts as continuous service?
- Continuous service means unbroken employment with the same employer, and it is a legal test rather than just elapsed time. Paid leave normally counts. Unpaid leave, casual gaps, industrial action and transfers between related businesses can each affect it, and the Long Service Leave Act 1981 (NT) sets out which absences break service and which merely pause it. This calculator assumes your service is unbroken, so check the detail with the Northern Territory Government if you have had a significant gap.
- Is long service leave paid at my current wage?
- Generally yes — it is paid at your ordinary weekly pay, excluding overtime, at the time you take the leave or when the employment ends. Where your hours or pay have changed, several Acts require an average to be used instead, which matters most if you have moved between full-time and part-time work. The figure above uses the single weekly pay you enter, so if your hours have changed materially treat it as approximate.
- Does my enterprise agreement override this?
- An award, enterprise agreement or contract can give you more than the Long Service Leave Act 1981 (NT), but it can never give you less. If yours has a better long service leave clause, that one applies and the figure above will understate what you are owed. Check your agreement first. Portable schemes for building and construction, contract cleaning, security and community services work also sit outside this calculator and have their own registers.
Across the country
The same service in every state
10 years of continuous service, under each state and territory’s own Act.
| State | Weeks at 10 years | Qualifying period |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Territory | 13 | 10 years |
| South Australia | 13 | 10 years |
| Australian Capital Territory | 8.6667 | 7 years |
| New South Wales | 8.6667 | 10 years |
| Queensland | 8.6667 | 10 years |
| Tasmania | 8.6667 | 10 years |
| Victoria | 8.6667 | 7 years |
| Western Australia | 8.6667 | 10 years |
Where this comes from
Source
Northern Territory Government — Long Service Leave Act 1981 (NT), s 8 and s 12(2)
https://nt.gov.au/employ/for-employees-in-nt/holidays-and-leave/long-service-leave
Checked on .
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