Long Service Leave Calculator QLD
Work out your long service leave entitlement in Queensland: how many weeks you've built up, whether it's payable yet, and what it's worth. Queensland qualifies at 10 years, with pro-rata from 7 years for limited reasons.
Queensland long service leave calculator
Enter your service and pay to see the leave you've accrued, whether it's payable, and what it's worth.
An estimate of your entitlement under the Industrial Relations Act 2016 (Qld). Your employer or the Queensland long service leave authority can confirm your exact balance.
Long service leave in Queensland at a glance
| Qualifying period | 10 years of continuous service |
| Leave at the qualifying period | 8.67 weeks |
| Accrual | 8.67 weeks at 10 years (13 weeks at 15 years) |
| Pro-rata on termination from | 7 years |
| Law | Industrial Relations Act 2016 (Qld) |
Applies to employees covered by the Queensland long service leave laws. Some industries, such as construction, coal mining and contract cleaning, have their own portable long service leave schemes with different rules.
How long service leave works in Queensland
In Queensland you get 8.67 weeks of long service leave after 10 years of continuous service, and 13 weeks at 15 years. Between 7 and 10 years, pro-rata is paid only if you resign because of illness or a domestic or other pressing necessity, you are dismissed because of illness, you are dismissed for a reason other than your conduct, capacity or performance (such as redundancy), you are unfairly dismissed, or on death. After 10 years it is paid on termination for any reason.
Long service leave is about continuous service with one employer, not hours worked. Part-time employees accrue it the same way as full-time employees, and paid leave such as annual leave counts as service. Unpaid leave and some breaks in service may not count, so check the Queensland Act if you've had a long break.
Queensland long service leave accrual table
How much leave you build up over time, and whether it's payable if your employment ends.
| Years of service | Leave accrued | If your employment ends |
|---|---|---|
| 5 years | 4.33 weeks | Nothing payable yet |
| 7 years | 6.07 weeks | Pro-rata for qualifying reasons only |
| 8 years | 6.93 weeks | Pro-rata for qualifying reasons only |
| 10 years | 8.67 weeks | Paid out when employment ends |
| 12 years | 10.4 weeks | Paid out when employment ends |
| 15 years | 13 weeks | Paid out when employment ends |
| 20 years | 17.33 weeks | Paid out when employment ends |
Part years count, so your balance grows each month of service.
Pro-rata long service leave in Queensland
Pro-rata means being paid for the leave you've built up before you reach the full qualifying period. In Queensland, it can be paid from 7 years of continuous service, but only for certain reasons for leaving.
| Why your employment ends | Pro-rata paid between 7 and 10 years? |
|---|---|
| You resign | No |
| You are made redundant | Yes |
| Your employer ends your employment (not misconduct) | Depends on the circumstances |
| You leave because of illness, incapacity or a pressing necessity | Yes |
| You retire | No |
| Death of the employee | Yes |
| You are dismissed for serious misconduct | No |
After 10 years, unused long service leave is paid out when your employment ends.
Taking your leave and getting paid
Once you reach 10 years you can take the leave, at a time agreed with your employer. You're paid your ordinary pay for the period, without overtime or most allowances. If your employment ends and you still have leave owing, it's paid out with your final pay.
Long service leave paid out on termination is taxed differently to your normal wages, and the tax depends on when the leave was accrued and why you left. Use the leave payout tax calculator to estimate the tax, or read our guide on tax on leave payouts.
More on Queensland long service leave
Worked examples
| Scenario | Leave | Weekly pay | Gross payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full entitlement at 10 years | 8.67 weeks | $1,400/wk | $12,138.00 |
| Redundancy at 8 years (pro-rata) | 6.93 weeks | $1,400/wk | $9,702.00 |
| Part-time, 25 hrs at $30/hr, 10 years | 8.67 weeks | $750/wk | $6,502.50 |
| Long service, 20 years | 17.33 weeks | $2,000/wk | $34,660.00 |
Before tax, at the accrual rate in the Industrial Relations Act 2016 (Qld). The pro-rata example assumes the reason for leaving qualifies.
Casual and part-time employees
Casual employees in Queensland do accrue long service leave — all continuous service counts, calculated using total ordinary hours worked rather than a standard weekly figure. See the casual vs permanent employment comparison for how this entitlement fits alongside casual loading and other trade-offs. The formula scales the same proportional structure to hours:
Business Queensland's own example: casual/part-time, 15,600 ordinary hours over 10 years
What rate is long service leave paid at?
Long service leave in Queensland is paid at your ordinary rate of pay at the time you take the leave or receive the payout — excluding overtime. If you're paid above the relevant award rate, the higher actual rate applies. For employees with variable hours or pay, an averaging method over a reference period is typically used to determine the applicable rate.
What counts as continuous service
Continuous service in Queensland generally refers to paid working time and paid leave. Continuity is not broken by:
- Paid or unpaid leave granted by the employer, including for illness or injury
- Termination due to illness or injury followed by re-employment (subject to conditions)
- Re-employment within 3 months after a termination
- An industrial dispute or slackness in business/trade, followed by re-employment
Continuity can be affected by other unauthorised or extended absences — if your employment history includes breaks, it's worth confirming with your employer or the Queensland Office of Industrial Relations exactly how your continuous service is being calculated.
Portable long service leave — building, cleaning and community services
If you work in the building and construction, contract cleaning, or community services industries in Queensland, your long service leave may be tracked through the QLeave portable scheme instead of the standard "10 years with one employer" model. Under a portable scheme, your entitlement follows you between employers within the same industry, rather than resetting each time you change jobs. If you work in one of these industries, check your QLeave record directly rather than relying on continuous-service calculations with a single employer.
Long service leave in other states
Long service leave is state law, so the rules change at the border. If you've worked in more than one state, the state where you're based usually applies.
Queensland long service leave FAQs
How much long service leave do you get in Queensland?
8.67 weeks after 10 years of continuous service. Leave keeps accruing after 10 years at the same rate, so 15 years of service is 13 weeks.
How is long service leave calculated in Queensland?
Your years of continuous service are multiplied by the Queensland accrual rate. Queensland accrues about 0.867 weeks a year, so 8 years of service is about 6.93 weeks. You're paid your ordinary weekly pay for each week of leave.
Can you get long service leave before 10 years in Queensland?
Yes, from 7 years, but only for certain reasons. Queensland pays pro-rata if you resign because of illness or a domestic or other pressing necessity, are dismissed because of illness, are dismissed for a reason other than your conduct, capacity or performance (including redundancy), are unfairly dismissed, or on death.
Is long service leave paid out if you resign in Queensland?
Only after 10 years, unless you resign for a qualifying reason. After 10 years of continuous service in Queensland, unused long service leave is paid out for any reason. Between 7 and 10 years, resigning only qualifies if it is because of illness or a domestic or other pressing necessity.
Does part-time work count towards long service leave in Queensland?
Yes. Long service leave is based on continuous service rather than hours, so part-time employees build up the same weeks of leave. How your pay rate is worked out, especially if your hours changed over the years, is set by the Queensland Act.
How is long service leave taxed when it's paid out?
A long service leave payout on termination is taxed under the ATO's rules for unused leave, not as ordinary wages. The rate depends on when the leave was accrued and why your job ended, with concessional treatment for genuine redundancy. Our leave payout tax calculator gives an estimate.