Long service leave calculator, Western Australia
See how much long service leave you have earned in Western Australia, and what it is worth if it is paid out — under the Long Service Leave Act 1958 (WA).
The calculator
Long service leave in Western Australia is set by the Long Service Leave Act 1958 (WA), 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 WA entitlement in full
| Governing Act | Long Service Leave Act 1958 (WA) |
|---|---|
| Qualifying period | 10 years of continuous service |
| Leave at the qualifying point | 8.6667 weeks |
| Accrual after that | 0.86667 weeks for each further year |
| Pro-rata on resignation | Resignation: from 7 years. An employee who has completed at least 7 years of continuous employment is paid a proportionate amount when the employment ends, calculated on the basis of 8.6667 weeks for 10 years. This applies however the employment ends, including resignation, except where the employee is dismissed for serious misconduct. |
| Pro-rata when the employer ends it | Termination: from 7 years. An employee who has completed at least 7 years of continuous employment is paid a proportionate amount on termination, calculated on the basis of 8.6667 weeks for 10 years. Nothing is payable where the employee is dismissed for serious misconduct. |
Worked example
Ten years of continuous employment — 8.667 weeks
10 years of continuous service in Western Australia earns 8.6667 weeks of long service leave (43.33 working days). At $1500 a week that is $13,000.05 before tax.
Checked against https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/private-sector-labour-relations/long-service-leave-when-employment-ends. 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 1958 (WA), you reach the qualifying point at 10 years of continuous service with the same employer, and that earns 8.6667 weeks of leave. Each further year adds 0.86667 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.
Western Australia grants 8.667 weeks after 10 years of continuous employment, then a further 4.333 weeks for every 5 years completed after that. Unusually, the pro-rata payment between 7 and 10 years is available however the employment ends — including a plain resignation — provided the employee was not dismissed for serious misconduct. The amendments commencing 20 June 2022 changed how absences count towards continuous employment for casual and seasonal employees; entitlements that had fully accrued before that date are still governed by the earlier provisions.
Leaving before 10 years
- If you resign: from 7 years. An employee who has completed at least 7 years of continuous employment is paid a proportionate amount when the employment ends, calculated on the basis of 8.6667 weeks for 10 years. This applies however the employment ends, including resignation, except where the employee is dismissed for serious misconduct.
- If your employer ends the job: from 7 years. An employee who has completed at least 7 years of continuous employment is paid a proportionate amount on termination, calculated on the basis of 8.6667 weeks for 10 years. Nothing is payable where the employee is dismissed for serious misconduct.
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 1958 (WA), 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 Western Australia?
- Western Australia gives 8.667 weeks after 10 years of continuous employment, then a further 4.333 weeks for every 5 years completed after that — the same 0.86667 weeks a year throughout. Enter your service above for the exact figure.
- Can I be paid out if I leave before 10 years?
- This is where WA is unusually generous. Once you have completed 7 years of continuous employment you are paid a proportionate amount however the employment ends — including a plain resignation to take another job. The only exclusion is dismissal for serious misconduct. Most other states restrict pro-rata to illness, incapacity or pressing necessity.
- What changed in Western Australia on 20 June 2022?
- The Industrial Relations Legislation Amendment Act 2021 amended section 9 of the Long Service Leave Act 1958 from 20 June 2022, changing how absences count towards continuous employment for casual and seasonal employees. If your entitlement had already fully accrued before that date, the earlier provisions still govern it, even if you take the leave afterwards.
- 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 1958 (WA) sets out which absences break service and which merely pause it. This calculator assumes your service is unbroken, so check the detail with Private Sector Labour Relations 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 1958 (WA), 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
Private Sector Labour Relations (Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety) — Long Service Leave Act 1958 (WA), s 8, as amended by the Industrial Relations Legislation Amendment Act 2021 from 20 June 2022
https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/private-sector-labour-relations/long-service-leave-when-employment-ends
Checked on .
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