Long Service Leave WA: How Much You Get, Pro Rata After 7 Years and How It's Paid

Published: 30 October 2026

Long service leave in WA is 8⅔ weeks of paid leave after 10 years of continuous employment with the same employer, then another 4⅓ weeks for every further 5 years. If you leave after 7 years for any reason other than being sacked for serious misconduct, you're paid out a pro-rata amount. Full-time, part-time and casual workers are all covered by the WA Long Service Leave Act 1958, unless an award or agreement gives them something at least as good.

Last fact-checked: 30 October 2026, against the WA Government's October 2026 guide to the Act. Pay rates, rules and job numbers change; follow the linked source before you act.

How much long service leave do you get in WA?

Section 8 of the Act sets the entitlement:

8⅔ weeks (8.6667) after 10 years of continuous employment
4⅓ weeks (4.3333) after each further 5 years: at 15, 20, 25 years and so on
Pro rata between 7 and 10 years if your employment ends (see below)
Nothing if you leave before 7 years

Both figures work out at the same rate: 0.86667 weeks of leave for every year of service. That's the number any WA long service leave calculator uses.

WA long service leave ready reckoner

This table converts years of service into weeks, hours and dollars. It assumes a full-time 38-hour week and ordinary pay of $1,500 a week (about $78,000 a year), so swap in your own figures. "Leaving" rows apply only when employment ends, because LSL between 7 and 10 years (or between 5-year blocks) is only paid out on exit.

WA long service leave ready reckoner (Jobs In Perth calculation from s 8 of the Long Service Leave Act 1958)
Continuous service	Weeks of LSL	Hours at 38 hrs/week	Pay at $1,500/week
7 years (leaving)	6.07	230.5	$9,100
8 years (leaving)	6.93	263.5	$10,400
9 years (leaving)	7.80	296.4	$11,700
10 years	8.67	329.3	$13,000
12 years (leaving)	10.40	395.2	$15,600
15 years	13.00	494.0	$19,500
20 years	17.33	658.7	$26,000
25 years	21.67	823.3	$32,500

The 12-year row matches the WA Government's worked example: 10.4 weeks. Where your hours have changed over the years, average them for each accrual period (see "How long service leave pay is calculated") rather than using 38.

The official WA long service leave calculator handles part years and changing hours if you need an exact figure.

Pro-rata long service leave after 7 years

If you have at least 7 but less than 10 years of continuous service and your employment ends, you're paid pro-rata long service leave unless your employer dismissed you for serious misconduct. That includes resigning, being made redundant, being dismissed for performance, and death (paid to your estate). Many people miss this when they resign after 8 or 9 years.

After 10 years, the same idea applies between the 5-year blocks. If you leave at 12 years, you get any untaken 10-year entitlement plus 0.86667 weeks for each completed year since. Even after a serious misconduct dismissal, any block you had already earned (for example the 10-year entitlement) must still be paid.

Long service leave for casual and part-time workers

Part-time workers accrue LSL exactly like full-timers. The leave is based on their average hours. Moving between full-time, part-time and casual with the same employer doesn't break continuity.

Casuals have been much better protected since amendments to the Act started on 20 June 2022. For entitlements that fall due on or after that date, a casual or seasonal worker's service is continuous through any break, however long, if:

the break was because of the terms of the job or seasonal factors, and
you had a reasonable expectation of coming back because the work was regular and systematic.

Several contracts with the same employer, or working for other employers at the same time, don't break continuity either. A casual who has worked most weekends at the same café or hotel for 10 years is very likely entitled. Our casual vs part-time guide explains the other differences.

How long service leave pay is calculated

LSL is paid at your ordinary pay at the time the leave starts. That means your normal weekly hours at your ordinary rate, not the rate you were on when you earned it.

Included	Excluded
Ordinary hourly or weekly rate	Overtime
Casual loading	Penalty rates (weekend, public holiday)
Cash value of board and lodging you don't get while on leave	Shift premiums
	Allowances

If your hours varied, the Act averages them over each accrual period: the first 10 years, then each 5-year block. Periods that don't count as service, such as unpaid leave, are left out. For FIFO workers the average includes the off weeks. Workers paid by piece rate or commission use average earnings over the previous 365 days.

Example: a casual. Say you averaged 20 hours a week over your first 10 years, and when the leave starts your base rate is $32 an hour plus 25% casual loading ($40 an hour). Your LSL is 8.667 weeks × 20 hours × $40 = about $6,933.

Taking your long service leave

When: as soon as reasonably practicable after it falls due, at a time you and your employer agree. Your employer can't direct you to take it.
12-month rule: once leave has been due for more than 12 months, your employer can't refuse it if you give at least 2 weeks' notice.
One block or several: the default is one continuous period. You can split it into separate periods by agreement.
Half pay or double pay: you can ask to take twice as long at half pay, or half as long at double pay. Your employer doesn't have to agree.
In advance: allowed by agreement. If you then leave before it's earned, the shortfall can be deducted from your final pay.
Public holidays: each public holiday that falls during your LSL adds a day to the leave.
Pay up front: if you ask in writing before the leave starts, you must be paid for the whole period in advance.
No second job: you can't do paid work for someone else as a substitute while on LSL.

Can you cash out long service leave in WA?

Yes, but only once it has accrued, and only with a written agreement signed by you and your employer. The payment must be at least what you'd have received for taking the leave. You can't cash out leave you haven't earned yet, and an employer can't pay it in advance through a higher hourly rate or "loading" in place of the leave.

What counts as service, and what breaks it?

Counts as service	Doesn't break continuity, but doesn't count	Breaks continuity
Paid leave of any kind, including paid parental leave	Unpaid leave, including unpaid parental leave for permanent staff	Resigning or being dismissed and not re-employed within the time limits
Public holidays	Stand-downs and industrial disputes
Defence Reserve service	Being re-employed within 2 months (6 months if you were let go because work was slack)
Workers' compensation absences from 1 July 2024

If the business is sold or the work is outsourced (from 20 June 2022), your service carries over if you're re-employed within 3 months, doing the same or substantially the same work, and there's a link between the two employers. That link can be a transfer of assets, outsourcing, or the employers being related companies.

Who isn't covered by the WA Act?

People with an equivalent or better LSL scheme under an award, agreement or other law.
WA public sector employees, who usually get 13 weeks. WA Government wages employees get 13 weeks after 10 years and 13 more for every further 7 years. Public Sector Commission staff get 13 weeks after 7 years. Check your own award or agreement. See WA Government jobs.
Local government staff, who are covered by the Local Government (Long Service Leave) Regulations 2024.
On-site construction workers, who are in the portable MyLeave scheme. You accrue 8⅔ weeks after 2,200 service days across any construction employer, with pro rata after 1,540 days. From 1 January 2026, MyLeave service also accrues during stand-downs and workers' compensation.
Some national-system employees whose old federal award or a pre-2010 agreement sets LSL. An enterprise agreement made on or after 1 January 2010 can't reduce the WA Act's entitlement.
Independent contractors.

If your employer won't pay

Call Wageline on 1300 655 266 (the WA Government's free advice service for the state system) or lodge an underpayment complaint through the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety. LSL claims go to the Industrial Magistrates Court. Penalties for employers are up to $93,000 per contravention for a company, and up to $930,000 for a serious contravention. Employers must keep LSL records for 7 years after your employment ends. If they haven't, the burden of proof shifts to them. If a federal award or agreement covers you, call the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94 instead.

Comparing pay at a new job against what you'd give up? See our WA minimum wage guide and average wage figures, or browse current jobs in Perth.

Frequently asked questions

How many weeks of long service leave do you get in WA?

8⅔ weeks after 10 years of continuous service with one employer, then 4⅓ weeks for every further 5 years. 15 years gives 13 weeks in total.

Do you get long service leave after 7 years in WA?

Only when your employment ends. Between 7 and 10 years you're paid pro rata if the job ends for any reason other than dismissal for serious misconduct, including resignation.

Do casuals get long service leave in WA?

Yes, if their work is regular and systematic. Since 20 June 2022, gaps between engagements don't break service if the casual reasonably expected to return.

Is long service leave paid at my current rate?

Yes. It's paid at your ordinary rate when the leave starts, averaged over your hours for each accrual period if they varied. Overtime and penalty rates are excluded.

Can my employer force me to take long service leave?

No. Under the WA Act, leave is taken at an agreed time. Once it has been due for more than 12 months, your employer can't refuse it if you give 2 weeks' notice.

How do I calculate long service leave in WA?

Multiply your years of continuous service by 0.86667 to get weeks. Then multiply by your average weekly hours and your current ordinary hourly rate. The ready reckoner above does the common cases.