If you have worked as a casual for the same business for years, you have probably wondered whether long service leave (LSL) applies to you or only to permanent staff. The short answer is that regular, long-serving casuals canaccrue long service leave in most Australian states and territories, but the detail depends on where you work, because long service leave is set by state and territory law, not the national system. This guide explains why casuals are usually covered, what 'continuous service' means when your hours are irregular, and how the rules differ across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.
Key takeaways
- Regular, long-serving casuals can accrue long service leave in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and WA. The entitlement comes from state law, not the NES.
- There is no single national figure: Victoria qualifies at 7 years; NSW, Queensland and WA at 10 years (about 8.67 weeks), with pro-rata available earlier when employment ends.
- Continuous service, not unbroken weeks, is what counts. Employer-caused quiet periods and short breaks generally do not reset the clock.
- In cleaning, construction, community services, security or coal mining, a portable scheme may preserve your service across employers.
Do casuals get long service leave?
Yes, in most cases. Every state and territory has its own long service leave law, and in each of them a casual can build up an entitlement, provided their service is continuous and long enough to qualify. The Fair Work Ombudsman puts it plainly: in some states and territories, long-serving casuals are eligible for long service leave. The main states treat regular casuals much the same way as permanent employees, as long as the employment relationship has been ongoing.
The catch is that casual work is often broken into separate shifts, so the real question is rarely 'are casuals covered?' but 'does my pattern of work count as continuous service?' That is where your roster and the state rules matter most. For how casual and permanent entitlements differ more broadly, see our guide to casual vs permanent employment.
A regular casual working for one employer on an ongoing basis can qualify for long service leave in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and WA. How many years you need, and how much you get, differs by state.
Why long service leave is state-based, not part of the NES
Long service leave is the one major leave entitlement the National Employment Standards (NES) do not set. The Fair Work Act 2009 preserves state and territory LSL laws rather than replacing them (the Fair Work Ombudsman cites section 113 as its source reference). So while your annual and personal leave flow from the federal NES, your long service leave almost always comes from the LSL Act in your state or territory.
This is why there is no single national figure for how long you must work or how much you accrue: each jurisdiction runs its own Act, qualifying period and formula, so any uniform 'Australian' LSL rule is an oversimplification. For how the federal and state systems fit together, see our guide to the Fair Work Act. (Rare exceptions apply where a pre-2010 federal award or an enterprise agreement sets its own LSL terms.)
Fair Work Ombudsman, Long service leave (last updated 9 February 2026): entitlement “comes from long service leave laws in each state or territory” and “in some states and territories, long serving casuals are eligible for long service leave.”
What 'continuous service' means for casuals
For casuals, continuous service is the key that unlocks long service leave. It does not mean you worked every week without a gap. It means the employment relationship with the one employer kept going. Each state describes it slightly differently:
- NSW: a casual's separate engagements can be 'strung together' into a series or pattern that amounts to an ongoing employment relationship. Continuous service is not broken by absence for illness or injury, or because the employer did not need you due to a slackness of trade.
- Queensland: since 30 March 1994, all of a casual's continuous service is counted. Continuity can end if there is a gap of more than 3 months between the end of one engagement and the start of the next.
- Victoria: some absences, such as parental leave and leave for illness or injury, do not break continuous employment.
So reasonable breaks and employer-caused gaps generally do not reset the clock, but long gaps you initiate can. Because casual patterns vary, always check your state's rule.
NSW Government, Long service leave (Long Service Leave Act 1955). Business Queensland, Long service leave entitlements and continuous service (Industrial Relations Act 2016).
How the main states differ
The qualifying period, the amount of leave, and the point at which a pro-rata payment becomes available all differ by state. The table below compares the four largest states, with each figure taken from that state's official long service leave authority.
| State | When LSL can be taken | Amount at that milestone | Pro-rata on ending employment | Regular casuals covered? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | After 10 years continuous service | 2 months (about 8.67 weeks) | After 5 years, on limited grounds (not a plain resignation) | Yes: full-time, part-time and casual |
| Victoria | After 7 years continuous employment | 1 week for every 60 weeks of service (about 0.87 week a year) | After 7 years, for any reason employment ends | Yes: casual, seasonal and fixed-term |
| Queensland | After 10 years continuous service | 8.6667 weeks | After 7 years, on limited grounds | Yes: casual, regular part-time and seasonal |
| WA | After 10 years continuous employment | 8.667 weeks (plus 4.333 weeks per extra 5 years) | After 7 years, including on resignation, dismissal, redundancy or death | Yes: full-time, part-time, casual and seasonal |
Victoria has the shortest qualifying period, at 7 years, and pays a pro-rata payout whenever employment ends after that. NSW reaches a pro-rata payment earliest, at 5 years, but only on restricted grounds such as dismissal (other than for serious and wilful misconduct), death, or resignation due to illness or a pressing domestic necessity. For the detail, see our pages on NSW, Victorian, Queensland and WA long service leave.
Victorian Government (Long Service Leave Act 2018): entitlement after “at least 7 years’ continuous employment”, accruing “one week for every 60 weeks of continuous service”. WA Government (Long Service Leave Act 1958): “8.667 weeks” after 10 years, plus “a further 4.333 weeks… for every 5 years”. Business Queensland: “8.6667 weeks… after a period of 10 years’ continuous service”.
Portable long service leave schemes
Standard long service leave rewards staying with one employer, a problem for casual and mobile workers who change jobs often. Portable schemes fix this: your service counts across every employer in the industry, so moving does not wipe out the years you have built up. Every state and territory runs portable schemes, and the Fair Work Ombudsman lists the industries covered:
- Building and construction
- Contract cleaning
- Community services
- Security (in some states)
- Coal mining (a single national scheme)
These schemes are especially valuable for casuals, who are common in cleaning, construction and community services and often work for several employers over a career. Your leave is held by a state fund rather than a single employer, and you claim it from that fund. Our portable long service leave overview explains how the schemes work and where to register.
How a casual's long service leave is calculated
A casual's entitlement has two moving parts: the weeks and the pay rate. The weeks follow the state formula and your length of service (about 8.67 weeks at 10 years in NSW, Queensland and WA; one week per 60 weeks of service in Victoria). The pay rate is usually an average of ordinary pay over a defined period, so a casual is not penalised for a slow month right before taking leave. Our glossary defines these terms.
Use the long service leave calculator to estimate the weeks you have accrued and their dollar value.
Worked example: a long-serving casual
The example below applies the NSW rules, where a casual reaches a full entitlement at 10 years.
Priya has worked as a casual at the same cafe for 11 years. Her shifts varied with the seasons, with a few quiet winters, but the cafe kept rostering her on an ongoing basis and never ended her employment. Under the NSW Long Service Leave Act 1955, those engagements are strung together into continuous service, and the quiet periods did not break it. Having passed 10 years, Priya is entitled to 2 months (about 8.67 weeks) of paid long service leave, paid at an average of her ordinary pay.
Frequently asked questions
Do casual employees really get long service leave?
Yes. In NSW, Victoria, Queensland and WA, regular casuals who reach the qualifying period are entitled to long service leave, just like permanent staff. The entitlement comes from each state's long service leave Act, not the NES.
How many years does a casual need to qualify?
It depends on the state: Victoria is 7 years to take leave, while NSW, Queensland and WA are 10 years, with a pro-rata payment available earlier if employment ends (5 years in NSW, 7 in Queensland and WA).
Does a break between shifts wipe out my long service leave?
Not usually. Short gaps, and gaps caused by the employer having no work, generally do not break continuous service. In Queensland, for example, a break is a problem only if it exceeds 3 months between engagements. Long absences you initiate are the main risk.
Is casual loading meant to cover long service leave?
No. Casual loading compensates for entitlements such as paid annual and personal leave that casuals do not accrue. It is not a substitute for long service leave, which is a separate entitlement calculated under state law on top of your hourly pay.
What if I move between employers in the same industry?
In building and construction, contract cleaning, community services, security or coal mining, a portable scheme may let your service carry across employers, so changing jobs does not reset your entitlement. See our portable long service leave page, or our leave FAQ for other questions.
Author & reviewer
Sarah has spent over a decade advising Australian SMBs on Fair Work, NES compliance, and payroll. Based in Sydney, she has worked across hospitality, retail and professional services.