Annual Leave WA: Entitlements, Leave Loading & Calculator

Published: 3 November 2026

Full-time and part-time employees in WA get 4 weeks of paid annual leave a year, based on their ordinary hours. A 38-hour week earns 152 hours a year, or about 2.92 hours for every week worked. Casuals don't get paid annual leave. Leave loading of 17.5% is common but isn't a legal minimum, and some details differ depending on whether your employer is in the national or the WA state system.

Last fact-checked: 3 November 2026, against Fair Work Ombudsman and WA Government (Wageline) guidance. Pay rates, rules and job numbers change; follow the linked source before you act.

Which system covers you: national or WA state?

It depends on your employer's legal structure, not the industry. Two systems of employment law apply to private sector workers in WA. If your employer is a Pty Ltd company that trades, you're almost certainly in the national system under the Fair Work Act 2009 and the National Employment Standards (NES).

You're in the WA state system under the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993 if you work for a sole trader, a partnership or trust with no company as partner or trustee, a household employer, some incorporated associations and not-for-profits, a local government, or most WA public sector agencies.

To check, look at the legal name on your payslip or contract, not the trading name. "The Perth Café" might be "Café Pty Ltd" on paper. Wageline (1300 655 266) can run the check for you. Our WA minimum wage guide explains the two systems in more detail.

Annual leave in WA: national system vs state system
Rule	National system (Fair Work Act)	WA state system (Minimum Conditions of Employment Act)
Who is covered	Pty Ltd companies and other trading or financial corporations, plus partnerships and trusts with a corporate partner or trustee	Sole traders, partnerships and trusts with no corporate partner or trustee, household employers, some not-for-profits, local government and most of the WA public sector
How much	4 weeks of ordinary hours a year. Some shiftworkers get 5 weeks	4 weeks of ordinary hours a year, capped at 152 hours
Leave loading	Only if your award, agreement or contract says so	Only if your WA award, agreement or contract says so (usually 17.5%)
Cashing out	Award or agreement must allow it. You must keep at least 4 weeks. Most awards cap it at 2 weeks in 12 months	Most WA awards don't allow it. Award-free: up to 50% of a completed year's leave, by written agreement
Taking leave	Employer can refuse a request only if the refusal is reasonable	Employer can't refuse leave you earned more than 12 months ago if you give 2 weeks' notice
Sick while on leave	You can use sick leave instead of annual leave	No minimum right to swap. Some WA awards allow it
Public holiday during leave	Paid, and not taken from your balance	Paid, and not taken from your balance (since 31 January 2025)
Leaving the job	All unused leave paid out, including loading if you'd get it on leave	Completed years paid out. Part-year leave is paid unless you quit without proper notice or are sacked for misconduct
Free advice	Fair Work Ombudsman, 13 13 94	Wageline, 1300 655 266

How much annual leave do you get in WA?

Full-time and part-time employees get 4 weeks of paid annual leave for each year of service, based on their ordinary hours. For a full-timer on 38 hours a week, that's 152 hours, or 20 working days on a five-day week.

Part-time: the same 4 weeks, at your own hours. Work 20 hours a week and you earn 80 hours a year.
Shiftworkers (national system): you get an extra week if your award or enterprise agreement has shiftwork provisions and defines you as a shiftworker who gets the additional NES week.
WA state system: the minimum is the hours you ordinarily work in a 4-week period, up to a maximum of 152 hours. A sole trader's employee on 40 hours a week still earns 152 hours of minimum annual leave, not 160.
Awards, agreements and contracts can give you more leave, but never less.

How does annual leave accrue for part-time workers?

Leave builds up gradually as you work, from your first day. To find your weekly accrual, divide your ordinary weekly hours by 13. That's the same as 4 weeks spread over 52.

38 hours a week ÷ 13 = 2.923 hours of leave per week (the figure Wageline uses)
24 hours a week ÷ 13 = 1.846 hours per week
15 hours a week ÷ 13 = 1.154 hours per week

In the national system, annual leave keeps accruing while you're on paid leave: annual leave, paid sick and carer's leave, paid family and domestic violence leave, community service leave and long service leave. It doesn't accrue during unpaid leave, unpaid parental leave, or for leave you've cashed out. Unused leave rolls over from year to year. Our guide to part-time employment covers how ordinary hours are set.

Annual leave calculator and ready reckoner

Enter your hours and how long you've worked to see your leave balance and what it's worth. If the calculator doesn't load, the table below shows the hours of leave earned for common part-time and full-time hours.

Annual leave ready reckoner: hours of leave earned, before any leave is taken (Jobs In Perth calculation at 4 weeks a year)
Ordinary hours a week	3 months	6 months	1 year	2 years	5 years
7.6 hours	7.6 hrs	15.2 hrs	30.4 hrs	60.8 hrs	152 hrs
15.2 hours	15.2 hrs	30.4 hrs	60.8 hrs	121.6 hrs	304 hrs
20 hours	20 hrs	40 hrs	80 hrs	160 hrs	400 hrs
22.8 hours	22.8 hrs	45.6 hrs	91.2 hrs	182.4 hrs	456 hrs
25 hours	25 hrs	50 hrs	100 hrs	200 hrs	500 hrs
30 hours	30 hrs	60 hrs	120 hrs	240 hrs	600 hrs
38 hours	38 hrs	76 hrs	152 hrs	304 hrs	760 hrs

Subtract any leave you've already taken. Shiftworkers who get 5 weeks: multiply by 1.25. In the WA state system, hours above 38 a week don't add to the 152-hour minimum. To turn hours into days, divide by the hours you work in a normal day.

How do you calculate annual leave pay?

Multiply the hours of leave by your current base hourly rate. Then add leave loading if your award, agreement or contract gives it. In the national system, annual leave is paid at your base rate. That excludes overtime, penalty rates, allowances and bonuses unless your award or agreement says otherwise.

Worked example. Priya works part-time for a national system employer: three 8-hour days, 24 hours a week. Her base rate is $32.00 an hour and her award pays 17.5% leave loading.

After 18 months she has earned 24 × 4 × 1.5 = 144 hours (18 of her 8-hour days).
She takes 2 weeks off: 48 hours × $32.00 = $1,536.00.
Leave loading: $1,536.00 × 17.5% = $268.80. Total pay for the 2 weeks: $1,804.80.
Her balance drops to 96 hours. If she resigned the next day, she'd be paid 96 × $32.00 × 1.175 = $3,609.60, because her loading also applies to the payout.

Do you get annual leave loading in WA?

Only if your award, enterprise agreement or contract provides it. Leave loading isn't part of the NES or the WA Minimum Conditions of Employment Act, so there is no automatic right to it.

Many awards in both systems pay 17.5% on top of your base rate while you're on leave. Some awards for shiftworkers pay the higher of 17.5% or the shift loading you normally earn. Award-free employees in the WA state system only get loading if their contract says so. Check your award on the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool (national) or the WA award summaries (state).

Do casuals get annual leave?

No. Casual employees aren't entitled to paid annual leave in either system. You're paid a casual loading on top of the base rate instead.

For award-free casuals, the minimum casual loading is 25% in both systems. In the WA state system it rose from 20% to 25% on 31 January 2025, and WA awards with a lower casual loading went to 25% from 26 April 2025. You can take unpaid time off by agreement with your employer. Weighing up casual against permanent work? See our casual vs part-time guide or browse part-time jobs in Perth.

Can you cash out annual leave?

Sometimes, and the rules differ between the two systems. Your employer can never force or pressure you to cash out leave, and the payment must equal what you'd have been paid if you took the leave.

National system. Your award or enterprise agreement must allow it. Under most awards you need at least 4 weeks left after the cash-out and a signed written agreement for each cash-out, and you can't cash out more than 2 weeks in any 12 months. Award and agreement-free employees can cash out by written agreement if at least 4 weeks remain.

WA state system. If you're covered by a WA award or industrial agreement, it must specifically allow cashing out, and most WA awards don't. If you're award-free, after you complete a year of service you and your employer can agree in writing to cash out up to 50% of that year's leave. An employer can't make cashing out a condition of a job offer.

What happens to your annual leave when you resign?

Unused annual leave is paid out when your job ends, whether you resign, are made redundant or are dismissed. In the national system, all accrued leave is paid. That includes leave loading if you'd get it when taking leave, even if your award, agreement or contract says it isn't paid on termination.

The WA state system has one catch. Leave for every completed year of service is always paid out, unless you were sacked for misconduct and the leave relates to a year completed after the misconduct. Leave for a part year is only paid if you resign with the notice your award, agreement or contract requires, or if you're made redundant or dismissed for reasons other than misconduct. So give proper notice. Our resignation letter template helps you do that.

Do public holidays count as annual leave?

No. If a public holiday falls during your annual leave on a day you'd normally work, you're paid for the public holiday and it isn't taken from your balance. This applies in the national system and, since 31 January 2025, in the WA state system. Planning leave around Christmas? See the WA public holidays for 2026 and 2027.

Can your employer refuse or force annual leave?

In the national system, you request leave and your employer can only refuse if the refusal is reasonable. Your award or agreement may also set rules on leave in advance and on large leave balances.

The WA state system is stronger for employees. Leave is taken by agreement, and your employer can't direct you to take it at a particular time unless you agreed in advance, such as in your contract for a Christmas shutdown. Once leave has been owing for more than 12 months, your employer can't refuse it if you give 2 weeks' notice.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours of annual leave do you get a year in WA?

152 hours for a full-time employee on 38 hours a week. Part-time employees get 4 weeks at their own hours, so 20 hours a week earns 80 hours a year.

How many days of annual leave do you get in WA?

20 working days a year on a standard five-day, 38-hour week. Some shiftworkers covered by a national award or agreement get 25 days (5 weeks).

Is annual leave loading 17.5% compulsory?

No. It's only payable if your award, enterprise agreement or contract provides it. Many awards do, usually at 17.5%.

Do you accrue annual leave during probation?

Yes. Annual leave accrues from your first day of employment, including any probation period.

What happens if you get sick on annual leave?

In the national system you can use paid sick leave instead, and your employer can ask for evidence. In the WA state system there's no minimum right to convert annual leave to sick leave, although some WA awards allow it.

Is unused annual leave paid out when you resign?

Yes. In the national system all unused leave is paid, plus loading if it applies. In the WA state system, part-year leave is only paid if you give the required notice.

Want a job with better leave conditions? Browse current jobs in Perth. For sick days, see our guide to sick and personal/carer's leave in WA, and for 10-year entitlements see long service leave in WA.