You are here: Home / Human Resources / Pay, leave & entitlements / Leave / Long Service Leave

Long Service Leave

Read about:

Long Service Leave entitlements

Staff covered by the Enterprise Agreement are entitled to:

  • 3 months long service leave on full pay (or 6 months on half pay) after 10 years' full-time paid service; plus
  • 9 calendar days on full pay (or 18 calendar days on half pay) per year from 10 to 15 years paid service; plus
  • 2 months and 15 calendar days on full pay (or 5 months leave on half pay) for each 5 year period of paid service after 15 years paid service.


Part-time staff and staff with a combination of full-time and part-time service are entitled to long service leave on a pro rata basis.

Service with other Australian Universities will be recognised in accordance with the Long Service Leave (recognition of prior service) Policy.

Casual staff are entitled to long service leave in accordance with the Long Service Leave Act 1955 (NSW) in respect of service performed from 1 January 2010.

Refer to clauses 157 - 168 in the Enterprise Agreement for other long service leave provisions.

Entitlements for staff who are not covered by the Enterprise Agreement should refer to their contract, award or agreement for details of their long service leave entitlements.

Taking Long Service Leave

Long service leave is not accrued in the same way as annual leave. Eligible staff are only entitled to long service leave after completing 10 years of service. Long service leave balances will therefore generally only display on myHRonline from the tenth anniversary of the start date of employment.

Staff should discuss their leave with their supervisor as early as possible to ensure it can be arranged at mutually agreed times.

Long service leave may be taken on full pay or on half pay. Long service leave on full pay may be requested and approved via myHRonline. Long service leave to be taken on half pay can be submitted on a Leave Booking form.

FAQs - Long Service Leave

When do I start accruing long service leave?*

You start accruing long service leave as soon as you commence employment with the University. Leave accrues on an hourly basis. However, you are only entitled to take long service leave after you have completed 10 years' service.
*This does not apply to casual staff, refer to FAQ 6 below.

Back to top
What are my long service leave entitlements?

If you are employed under the Enterprise Agreement, your long service leave entitlement includes:

  • (a) 3 months leave on full pay (or 6 months on half pay) after ten years’ full-time paid service (whether continuous or broken);
  • (b) A further 9 calendar days’ leave (or 18 calendar days’ on half pay) per year from ten to fifteen years’ paid service; and
  • (c) A further 2 months and 15 calendar days’ leave on full pay (or 5 months on half pay) for each five year period of paid service after 15 years’ paid service.
Back to top
Can I take my long service leave on half pay?

Yes you can take long service leave on half pay. For example, if you are eligible for 3 months' long service leave you may take this as 6 months on half pay. You will need to complete a Leave application form on the HR website to apply for long service leave at half pay.

Back to top
I am employed under an Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA), what are my long service leave entitlements?

Long service leave provisions for staff covered by an AWA or other individual contracts are governed by the conditions of their contract, award or agreement. You will find details of your entitlements in your contract and letter of offer. Contact your HR Advisor if you require further assistance.

Back to top
I work part-time. How does my long service leave accrue?

If you are part-time or have a combination of full-time and part-time service your long service leave is accrued on a pro rata basis.

Back to top
I am a casual staff member, am I eligible for long service leave?

Casual staff are entitled to long service leave in accordance with the Long Service leave Act 1955 (NSW) for service performed from 1 January 2010.

Back to top
Where can I find my long service leave balance on myHRonline?

To view your long service leave balance, log onto myHRonline select the My HR tab, Leave, then Leave Balances. Leave balances are displayed in hours. For more help refer to myHRonline User Guide.

Note that long service leave is not accrued in the same way as annual leave. Eligible staff are only entitled to take long service leave after completing 10 years’ service. Therefore your long service leave balance will generally only display on myHRonline from the tenth anniversary of your start date of employment.

You can calculate a future long service leave balance by using the Date Calendar to select a date. Click on the Calculate Balances button and the balance at the enquiry date will display.

Back to top
How do I find out how much long service leave I have accrued if I have less than 10 years’ service?

Your long service leave balance will generally only display on myHRonline once you have completed 10 years’ service and are therefore entitled to take long service leave. Refer to FAQ 2 for long service leave entitlements after 10 years' service.

Back to top
How do I apply for long service leave?

Long service leave at full pay can now be applied for on myHRonline. Log onto myHRonline select the My HR tab, then Leave, then Leave Booking Requests. For further help on applying for long service leave on myHRonline, refer to myHRonline User Guide. If you are applying for long service leave at half pay, you will need to apply using a Leave application form from the HR website.

Back to top
How do I approve requests for long service leave?

You should consult with your Head of School/Administrative Unit before approving a staff member's request for long service leave to ensure the operational requirements of the work unit are met.

Long service leave requests on full pay can be applied for and approved on myHRonline. Log onto myHRonline select the My Approvals tab, then Approvals, then Approval Requests. To facilitate consultation with your Head through myHRonline, you can either:

  • Defer your decision on myHRonline. To do this you need to view the record before actioning the request from the View and Update window and choose Deferred. This will allow you time to consult with your Head without the leave request automatically escalating to your supervisor after seven days.

OR

  • You can escalate the request to the next approval level if it is more appropriate for your supervisor to approve the request. This way you can add a comment such as “I support this application and seek your approval”.

For further help on approving, deferring or escalating long service leave requests on myHRonline, refer to myHRonline User Guide.

Requests for long service leave at half pay will need to be applied for and approved on a Leave application form from the HR website.

Back to top
Are there any restrictions on when I can take long service leave?

You should discuss your plans to take long service leave as far in advance as possible so that your supervisor can consult with the Head of School/Administrative Unit and make arrangements to cover your absence if necessary. As far as possible your preferences will be taken into account while considering the operational requirements of your work unit.

Back to top
What happens if a public holiday falls during a period of long service leave I have booked?

You will receive pay for the public holiday and your period of long service leave will be extended by one day.

Back to top
I am taking my long service leave over the Christmas closedown. Will I still get the benefit of the University concessional days? And will I have to take the required annual leave days?

Yes, you will get the benefit of the University concessional days. And you will not be required to take the annual leave days over the Christmas closedown if you are on long service leave over these days. Refer to the Christmas Closedown FAQs for further information.

Back to top
I left the University for a few years and then came back to work here. Do I still get my long service leave?

Your prior service at the University of Sydney will count as service for the purposes of calculating your entitlement to long service leave or payment in lieu of such leave. However, if you took long service leave while with another University, or received payment in lieu of long service leave, you will not accrue any further leave entitlement in relation to the period during which the leave was taken or in relation to the period to which payment was received in lieu of leave.

Back to top
I have just joined the University and have accrued long service leave with another university. Is service with other employers recognised?

If your employment was with another university in Australia which provides transferability of service for the purposes of long service leave, your prior continuous service may be recognised subject to certain conditions. Refer to the University’s Long Service Leave (recognition of prior service) policy for more information. If you wish to apply for recognition, and have not already notified the HR Service Centre of your relevant prior service before starting at the University, you should do so within two months of your commencement.

Back to top
If I do not take my long service leave will it be paid out when I leave the University?

When you leave the University, and if you have a minimum of 10 years’ service, payment will be made in lieu of long service leave accrued. Refer to details of long service leave entitlements in FAQ 2 above.

Back to top