How long service leave works in Tasmania
The entitlement is 8⅔ weeks at 10 years, then 4⅓ weeks per further 5 years. Between 7 and 10 years, a proportionate payment applies on reaching retirement age, termination for illness, resignation forced by incapacity or a pressing necessity, or any employer-initiated termination short of serious and wilful misconduct — redundancy included.
Tasmania has a distinctive casual rule: a casual or part-time worker regularly employed at least 32 hours in every consecutive 4-week period is deemed continuously employed. Construction workers sit outside the Act under the TasBuild portable scheme.
The pay rate is broader than most states: it includes shift penalties, casual and part-time loadings, all-purpose allowances and board or lodging value — but not overtime or bonuses. With no fixed hours, Tasmania averages your weekly hours over the last 12 months.
If an employee with 7 to 10 years of service dies, the Act pays the estate 1/60th of the total period of continuous employment — in practice about the same as the ordinary accrual rate.
What sets Tasmania apart
Tasmania pays the same 8⅔ weeks at 10 years as NSW and Queensland, but it measures pay more generously. Ordinary pay for Tasmanian long service leave is what you would have earned if you were at work, so it includes shift penalties, casual and part-time loadings, all-purpose allowances and the value of board or lodging. Most other states strip shift premiums out.
The Tasmanian pro-rata window runs from 7 to 10 years and is tied to how the job ended. Reaching retirement age, termination for illness, a resignation forced by incapacity or pressing necessity, and any employer termination short of serious and wilful misconduct all qualify. An ordinary resignation does not.
Worked example, step by step
Retired at retirement age after 8 years on $1,550 a week.
- Service: 8 years of continuous employment.
- Accrual rule in Tasmania: 8⅔ weeks per 10 years of service, counted proportionally.
- Leave accrued: 6.93 weeks.
- Payable on this exit? Yes. Reaching retirement age is a qualifying Tasmanian exit from 7 years. The weekly figure should include any shift penalties and all-purpose allowances you normally receive.
- Gross payout: 6.9334 weeks × $1,550 = $10,747 before tax.
Worked examples
| Scenario | Accrued | Payable? | Gross value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redundant at 8 years on $1,600/week | 6.9 wks | Yes | $11,093 |
| Resigned at 9 years on $1,600/week | 7.8 wks | No | — |
| Still employed at 12 years on $1,600/week | 10.4 wks | Can take leave | ≈ $16,640 if taken |
| Resigned for incapacity at 8 years on $1,600/week | 6.9 wks | Yes | $11,093 |
| Resigned at 10 years on $1,600/week | 8.7 wks | Yes | $13,867 |
Casuals, part-timers and changing hours
Tasmania has its own test for casuals and part-timers: if you were regularly employed for at least 32 hours in each consecutive 4-week period, you are treated as continuously employed, even across separate casual engagements. Construction workers are covered by the TasBuild portable scheme instead of the Act.
If you had no normal weekly hours, Tasmania averages your weekly hours over the 12 months before the leave. Commission employees use a 3-month average of weekly remuneration. Overtime, special rates, travel and meal allowances and bonuses are excluded.
Common mistakes in Tasmania
- Leaving shift penalties out of the rate. In Tasmania they are part of ordinary pay for long service leave.
- Assuming a casual with irregular weeks is not continuous. The 32-hours-in-4-weeks test often says otherwise.
- Expecting pro-rata on an ordinary resignation at 8 or 9 years. It is not payable in Tasmania.
How the payout is taxed
Long service leave paid out when you leave is taxed separately from your wages. On a genuine redundancy, leave accrued after 17 August 1993 is withheld at a flat 32%; on a resignation or ordinary dismissal it is taxed at your marginal rate. The final pay calculator applies the right treatment, and the redundancy tax guide explains the rules.
Frequently asked questions
When do you qualify for long service leave in Tasmania?
At 10 years of continuous employment you can take 8⅔ weeks of paid leave. From 7 years, defined exits (retirement age, illness, incapacity/pressing-necessity resignation, employer termination other than serious misconduct) pay a proportionate amount.
Do casual employees get long service leave in Tasmania?
Yes, if regularly employed at least 32 hours in each consecutive 4-week period — that deems the employment continuous under the Act, even for casual engagements.
Is shift loading included in Tasmanian LSL pay?
Yes — Tasmania is unusual in including shift penalties, casual/part-time loadings and all-purpose allowances in ordinary pay for LSL. Overtime and bonuses stay excluded.
What if I resign at 8 years in Tasmania?
An ordinary resignation between 7 and 10 years pays nothing. A resignation genuinely forced by incapacity or a domestic or other pressing necessity qualifies for the pro-rata payment instead.
What does the estate receive if an employee dies at 8 years in Tasmania?
The Act pays 1/60th of the total period of continuous employment, which works out close to the ordinary accrual rate.
Are bonuses included in Tasmanian LSL pay?
No. Bonuses, overtime, special rates and travel and meal allowances are excluded, even though shift penalties and all-purpose allowances are included.
Verify with the official authority
Tasmania long service leave is governed by the Long Service Leave Act 1976 (Tas). The official authority is WorkSafe Tasmania (1300 366 322) — verify your specific situation there before acting, especially where continuity (breaks, business sales, parental leave) is in play.
Other states and tools
- New South Wales LSL calculator
- Victoria LSL calculator
- Queensland LSL calculator
- Western Australia LSL calculator
- South Australia LSL calculator
- Australian Capital Territory LSL calculator
- Northern Territory LSL calculator
- Pro-rata rules in every state
- Long service leave for casuals — continuity rules compared
- Final pay calculator — combine LSL with notice and leave
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 Act 1976 (Tas) (Tasmanian Legislation), checked 7 August 2026.
- Long service leave (Tasmania) (WorkSafe Tasmania), checked 10 August 2026.
Rules last verified 2026-08-07. Estimates only. Independent guide — not a government service, and not financial or legal advice.