AUSTRALIA · 2026

Australia Leave & Pay Calculators

Work out annual leave, long service leave, redundancy pay, leave loading, personal leave and final-pay estimates using calculators built around Australia’s National Employment Standards and the rules that sit alongside them.

Quick answer: Most full-time and part-time employees covered by the national workplace relations system receive 4 weeks of paid annual leave each year. Eligible shiftworkers may receive 5 weeks. Full-time employees receive 10 days of paid personal/carer’s leave each year, with part-time entitlement accruing on a pro-rata basis. Long service leave usually depends on state or territory law, while NES redundancy pay follows a service-based scale that peaks at 16 weeks.
Primary authority: Fair Work Ombudsman Wage authority: Fair Work Commission Page rules checked: 29 August 2026
Ruby Miller, HR and employment law content lead
Written and reviewed by
Ruby Miller · HR & Employment Law Content Lead
At a glance

Australia leave rules that matter most

These are the headline minimums. Your award, enterprise agreement, contract, employment type and state or territory can change the final result.

Annual leave
4 weeks/year
Eligible shiftworkers
5 weeks/year
Personal/carer’s leave
10 days FT
NES redundancy
Up to 16 weeks
Employer notice
1–4 + 1 week*

*The extra week of employer notice applies where the employee is over 45 and has completed at least 2 years of continuous service. Some awards, agreements or contracts can provide longer notice.

Tool finder

Which calculator should I use?

If you are not sure where to start, match the question you have to the calculator below.

“How much annual leave have I built up?”

Use the Annual Leave Calculator for ordinary NES accrual, including part-time hours and relevant shiftworker treatment.

Open annual leave calculator →

“I’ve worked here for years — what long service leave applies?”

Use the Long Service Leave Calculator. The answer depends heavily on your state or territory and sometimes on the instrument covering your employment.

Open LSL calculator →

“My role is being made redundant.”

Use the Redundancy Pay Calculator first. If you also need unused leave and notice added in, use the Termination Pay Calculator afterwards.

Open redundancy calculator →

“Does my annual leave include an extra loading?”

Use the Leave Loading Calculator after checking whether your award, enterprise agreement or contract actually provides a loading.

Open leave loading calculator →
How the system works

The NES is the starting point, not always the whole answer

Australia’s National Employment Standards set minimum employment standards for employees in the national workplace relations system. For leave calculations, that usually means beginning with the NES and then checking the modern award, enterprise agreement or contract that applies to the job. Those instruments can add details such as leave loading, extra annual leave or different administrative rules, but they cannot exclude the NES minimum standards.

Long service leave needs separate treatment. It is recognised within the NES framework, but in many cases the practical entitlement comes from state or territory long service leave legislation or preserved industrial instruments. That is why a single national long service leave formula would be misleading.

Casual employment also works differently. Casual employees do not receive paid annual leave or paid sick/carer’s leave under the NES. A casual loading is commonly provided under modern awards—often 25% of the relevant minimum hourly rate—but the exact loading and how it interacts with penalties depends on the applicable award or other industrial instrument.

Compare entitlements

Common Australian leave and termination rules

This table is designed as a fast orientation. Use the linked calculators for the actual working.

Headline NES and related rules checked August 2026
EntitlementTypical minimum / ruleMain qualificationBest calculator
Annual leave4 weeks per year; 5 weeks for eligible shiftworkersFull-time and part-time employees; casuals excludedAnnual Leave
Paid personal/carer’s leave10 days per year for full-time employees; part-time accrues pro rataEmployees other than casualsPersonal Leave
Long service leaveVaries by state/territory law or applicable industrial instrumentUsually depends on continuous service and jurisdictionLong Service Leave
Leave loadingOften 17.5% where an award provides it, but not a universal NES entitlementDepends on award, agreement or contractLeave Loading
Redundancy pay4–16 weeks on the NES scale, with 12 weeks at 10+ yearsCommon exclusions include under 12 months’ service and many small-business employeesRedundancy Pay
Employer notice1–4 weeks, plus 1 extra week for eligible employees over 45Depends on service, age and exclusionsTermination Pay
NES redundancy scale

How many weeks of redundancy pay can the NES provide?

The scale rises with continuous service, reaches 16 weeks for 9 to under 10 years, then reduces to 12 weeks from 10 years onwards.

NES redundancy pay scale
Continuous serviceRedundancy payContinuous serviceRedundancy pay
1 to under 2 years4 weeks6 to under 7 years11 weeks
2 to under 3 years6 weeks7 to under 8 years13 weeks
3 to under 4 years7 weeks8 to under 9 years14 weeks
4 to under 5 years8 weeks9 to under 10 years16 weeks
5 to under 6 years10 weeks10 years or more12 weeks

This is the NES scale, not a guarantee that every redundancy attracts a payment. Eligibility exclusions and award-specific provisions can change the result.

Notice periods

Minimum employer notice under the NES

Notice is based on continuous service. Eligible employees over 45 receive one additional week where they have completed at least two years of service.

Minimum notice of termination by an employer
Continuous serviceMinimum noticeAge-based extra week
1 year or less1 weekNo
More than 1 to 3 years2 weeks+1 week if over 45 and at least 2 years’ service
More than 3 to 5 years3 weeks+1 week if over 45 and at least 2 years’ service
More than 5 years4 weeks+1 week if over 45 and at least 2 years’ service
Long service leave

Why the long service leave calculator asks for your state or territory

There is no single practical national accrual rule that covers every employee. State and territory legislation—and in some cases preserved industrial instruments—can set different qualifying periods, accrual formulas and pro-rata termination rules.

Simple workflow

How to use the calculators

You do not need an account and the page does not send your calculator inputs to an external service.

01

Choose the entitlement

Use the calculator that matches the question—annual leave, personal leave, long service leave, redundancy, loading or termination pay.

02

Enter only the inputs needed

Depending on the tool, that may include ordinary hours, service length, weekly pay, employment type or state/territory.

03

Read the working

Use the breakdown to see how the estimate was reached, then check any award, agreement or payroll-specific rule that may sit on top.

2026 context

What changed recently in Australian workplace rules?

26 Aug 2024

New casual employment definition and employee-choice pathway

Closing Loopholes reforms changed the statutory approach to casual employment and introduced the employee-choice pathway for eligible casual employees to seek permanent employment.

Fair Work Ombudsman
26 Aug 2025

Right to disconnect extended to small-business employees

The right to refuse out-of-hours contact in certain circumstances, unless refusal is unreasonable, extended to employees of small-business employers.

Fair Work Ombudsman
1 Jul 2026

2026 minimum wage decision took effect

The National Minimum Wage increased to $1,004.90 per week or $26.44 per hour, while modern award minimum wages increased by 4.75% from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026.

Fair Work Commission
Primary sources checked
Fair Work Ombudsman — Annual leave Fair Work Ombudsman — Paid sick & carer’s leave Fair Work Ombudsman — Notice & redundancy pay Fair Work Ombudsman — Long service leave Fair Work Commission — Annual Wage Review 2026 State & territory long service leave laws
Quick answers

Australia leave calculator FAQs

Short answers to the questions people usually ask before opening a calculator.

Do casual employees get paid annual leave in Australia?

No. Casual employees do not receive paid annual leave under the NES. Many modern awards instead provide a casual loading, commonly 25% of the applicable minimum hourly rate, but the exact rule depends on the award or instrument covering the employee.

How much annual leave do full-time employees get?

Most full-time employees receive 4 weeks of paid annual leave for each year of service. Eligible shiftworkers can receive 5 weeks.

Do part-time employees get 10 days of paid sick leave?

Part-time employees receive a pro-rata entitlement based on their ordinary hours. The NES gives full-time employees 10 days of paid personal/carer’s leave each year.

Is annual leave loading always 17.5%?

No. Leave loading is not a universal NES entitlement. Many modern awards use 17.5%, but some compare that amount with shift or weekend loadings, and some employees have no leave loading at all.

Is long service leave the same across Australia?

No. The applicable entitlement can come from state or territory legislation or certain industrial instruments, so qualifying periods, accrual rates and pro-rata rules can differ by jurisdiction.

What is the maximum NES redundancy pay?

The NES scale peaks at 16 weeks of pay for employees with at least 9 but less than 10 years of continuous service. At 10 years or more, the scale provides 12 weeks.

Do small businesses have to pay NES redundancy pay?

Employees of a small business employer with fewer than 15 employees are generally excluded from NES redundancy pay, although an award or other applicable rule can create a different entitlement.

How much notice must an employer give?

The NES minimum is generally 1 to 4 weeks depending on continuous service. An employee over 45 with at least 2 years of service receives an additional week of employer notice.

Which calculator should I use when employment is ending?

Use the Termination Pay Calculator for a combined estimate. If you only need the redundancy component, use the Redundancy Pay Calculator.

Are these calculators legal or payroll advice?

No. They are informational estimates built from published rules. An award, enterprise agreement, contract, payroll setup or unusual employment history can affect the correct amount.

Australia rules checked 29 August 2026

LeaveCalculators.com provides general informational estimates, not legal, financial, tax or payroll advice. Check the award, enterprise agreement, contract and official employment authority that apply to your circumstances.

More countries

Leave calculators for other countries

Use the country hub that matches the employment law system you need.