The national comparison
| Jurisdiction | Pro-rata from | Full entitlement | Ordinary resignation pays? |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 5 years | 8.67 wks at 10 yrs | Only illness/incapacity/pressing necessity (5–10 yrs) |
| Victoria | 7 years | 6.07 wks at 7 yrs | Yes — any reason from 7 yrs |
| Queensland | 7 years | 8.67 wks at 10 yrs | Only illness/incapacity/pressing necessity (7–10 yrs) |
| Western Australia | 7 years | 8.67 wks at 10 yrs | Yes — any reason from 7 yrs |
| South Australia | 7 years | 13 wks at 10 yrs | Yes — any reason from 7 yrs (completed years) |
| Tasmania | 7 years | 8.67 wks at 10 yrs | Only illness/incapacity/pressing necessity (7–10 yrs) |
| Australian Capital Territory | 5 years | 6.07 wks at 7 yrs | From 7 yrs; 5–7 only for pressing necessity |
| Northern Territory | 7 years | 13 wks at 10 yrs | Only illness/incapacity/pressing necessity (7–10 yrs) |
The rules of thumb (and the traps)
Everywhere: redundancy, death, and genuinely forced resignations (illness, incapacity, pressing necessity) collect the pro-rata payout once you pass the state threshold. Serious misconduct forfeits it — except in Victoria, which pays regardless after 7 years, and the NT, which still pays completed 10-year blocks.
The resignation divide: quitting for a better job at 8 years pays about 6.9 weeks in Victoria, about 6.9 weeks in Western Australia, about 10.4 weeks in South Australia, about 6.9 weeks in the Australian Capital Territory — and zero in New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Same tenure, different postcode, thousands of dollars.
The QLD performance trap: Queensland pays on dismissal only when the reason is other than your conduct, capacity or performance — stricter than any other state's misconduct-only carve-out.
Completed years: SA and the NT accrue 1.3 weeks per completed year. In South Australia, resigning at 8 years 11 months pays for 8 years — 1.3 weeks' less pay than waiting a month. (In the NT an ordinary resignation before 10 years pays nothing at all.) Check your anniversary before you hand in notice.
Work out your own number
The long service leave calculator applies each state's threshold, exit-reason rules and accrual formula to your dates and pay — or jump straight to your state page linked in the table above.
Frequently asked questions
What does pro rata long service leave mean?
A proportional payout of long service leave when employment ends before the full qualifying milestone. Instead of the full 8.67 (or 13) weeks, you receive the fraction your service has earned — if your state's rules make it payable for your exit reason.
Can I resign and still get pro rata long service leave?
Depends entirely on the state. VIC, WA and SA: yes, an ordinary resignation from 7 years collects the pro-rata. NSW, QLD, TAS and NT: only resignations forced by illness, incapacity or a domestic/other pressing necessity qualify. The ACT pays any exit from 7 years but restricts its 5-to-7-year tier.
What counts as "domestic or other pressing necessity"?
A genuine compulsion to resign — serious illness (yours or a dependant's), caring obligations, a partner's unavoidable relocation. States interpret it case-by-case, employers can ask for evidence, and a better job offer never qualifies.
Does redundancy trigger pro rata long service leave?
Yes, in every state and territory once you pass its pro-rata threshold (5 years NSW, 7 elsewhere; 5 in the ACT's restricted tier). Redundancy is employer-initiated, which qualifies everywhere.
Is pro rata LSL paid on dismissal for poor performance?
Mostly yes (it is not misconduct) — but Queensland is the trap: QLD only pays when dismissal is for reasons OTHER than conduct, capacity or performance. A performance dismissal at 8 years pays in NSW and WA but not QLD.
Related
- Long service leave for casuals — continuity and averaging in every state
- Long service leave calculator
Sources
Figures on this page come from the following primary sources. The date is when we last checked the page against the source.
- Long service leave (NSW) (NSW Government), checked 7 August 2026.
- Long Service Leave Act 1955 (NSW) (NSW Legislation), checked 7 August 2026.
- Long service leave (Victoria) (Victorian Government), checked 7 August 2026.
- Comprehensive guide to the Long Service Leave Act 2018: calculating long service leave (Victorian Government), checked 7 August 2026.
- Long service leave (Queensland) (Business Queensland), checked 7 August 2026.
- Overview of long service leave in WA (WA Government), checked 7 August 2026.
- Long service leave when employment ends (WA) (WA Government), checked 7 August 2026.
- Long service leave for casual and seasonal employees (WA) (WA Government), checked 7 August 2026.
- Long Service Leave Act 1987 (SA) (SA Legislation), checked 7 August 2026.
- Long service leave: accruing leave (SA) (SafeWork SA), checked 7 August 2026.
- Long Service Leave Act 1976 (Tas) (Tasmanian Legislation), checked 7 August 2026.
- Long service leave (Tasmania) (WorkSafe Tasmania), checked 10 August 2026.
- Long Service Leave Act 1976 (ACT) (ACT Legislation Register), checked 7 August 2026.
- Long service leave (ACT) (WorkSafe ACT), checked 7 August 2026.
- Long Service Leave Act 1981 (NT) (NT Legislation), checked 7 August 2026.
- Long service leave (NT) (NT Government), checked 7 August 2026.
Rules verified 2026-08-07 against each jurisdiction's official sources (see the state pages for citations). Independent guide — not a government service, and not legal advice.