On 20 June 2024, the New South Wales Parliament passed the Community Services Sector (Portable Long Service Leave) Bill 2024 (the Bill) introducing a new portable long service leave scheme for workers in the community service sector.
The Bill will impact up to 250,000 community sector workers in NSW by providing them with:
- access to six weeks of long service leave after 7 years of employment, rather than two months of leave after 10 years of service under the Long Service Leave Act 1955 (NSW);
- allowing workers to accrue long service leave based on their engagement in community services work, meaning that long service leave may accrue across multiple employers, rather than time employed by a single employer; and
- having one central agency, the NSW Long Service Leave Corporation to administer long service leave, including records and leave payments.
Employers will be required to pay a levy to the NSW Long Service Leave Corporation to cover their long service leave obligations.
The Bill will bring NSW in line with the portable long service leave schemes already in place for the community service sectors in the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Queensland.
The Bill will commence on a date fixed by Proclamation.
Information provided in this blog is not legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Workplace Law does not accept liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on the content of this blog, or from links on this website to any external website. Where applicable, liability is limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.