Question 1

When am I eligible for long service leave in Victoria?

Accepted Answer

Under the Long Service Leave Act 2018, Victorian employees can request to take long service leave after 7 years of continuous service with the same employer — earlier than the NSW threshold of 10 years. The employer cannot unreasonably refuse the request, although they can negotiate the timing. Pro-rata is also payable on termination from 7 years of continuous service. The leave accrues at 1/60th of the period of continuous service, which works out to roughly 0.867 weeks of leave per year of service.

Question 2

How does the 7-year pro-rata under the LSL Act 2018 work?

Accepted Answer

The Victorian LSL Act 2018 ended the previous "10 years to take, 7 years to pro-rata only on termination" structure. From 1 November 2018 the entitlement vests at 7 years for both purposes — you can take the leave or be paid out on termination once you reach 7 years of continuous service. After 7 years the accrual continues at 1/60th of service, so a 10-year employee has the same 8.667 weeks they would have had under the old NSW-style rule, just unlocked sooner.

Question 3

How is leave calculated for casual workers in Victoria?

Accepted Answer

Casual employees in Victoria accrue LSL on the same time-in-service basis as full-time staff under the LSL Act 2018, provided the engagement is continuous. The pay rate is calculated using average weekly hours over the entire continuous service period or the most recent 12 months — whichever is greater. The leave is paid at the ordinary rate of pay applicable when the leave is taken (or at the final ordinary rate on termination). Reasonable absences and breaks of up to 12 weeks generally do not break continuity.

Question 4

What counts as continuous service in Victoria?

Accepted Answer

Continuous service means a single unbroken period of employment with the same employer. It includes paid annual leave, paid personal leave, public holidays and most paid breaks. Reasonable absences of up to 12 weeks generally do not break continuity, and longer paid parental leave can be counted. Unpaid parental leave and most stretches of unpaid leave do not count toward the service period but typically do not break it. A change of business ownership or a transfer between related entities can preserve continuous service under the transmission-of-business rules.

Question 5

How is Victorian LSL different from the NSW Long Service Leave Act 1955?

Accepted Answer

NSW vests the full entitlement at 10 years (with 5-year pro-rata on termination in qualifying circumstances), while Victoria vests both at 7 years from the LSL Act 2018. Victoria uses a continuous accrual formula (1/60th of service) rather than the NSW step structure (2 months at 10 years, +1 month each 5 years afterwards). The two formulas converge at 10 years (both ≈ 8.667 weeks) but diverge in years 7-9 where Victoria pays out and NSW does not. Both states preserve continuous service across most paid leave.

Question 6

Are Victorian construction workers covered by a different scheme?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Building and construction workers are covered by CoINVEST, a portable LSL scheme that follows the worker across employers within the industry. Contract cleaners, security industry workers and community services workers also have separate portable schemes. This calculator covers the general LSL Act 2018 only — workers in the portable schemes should check their entitlement directly with the relevant authority. The portable schemes typically vest sooner than 7 years because the service follows the worker rather than the employer.

Service length	Weeks accrued
7 years	6.067 weeks
8 years	6.933 weeks
10 years	8.667 weeks
15 years	13.000 weeks
20 years	17.333 weeks

Long Service Leave Calculator VIC 2026

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