Victoria’s New Long Service Leave Act 2018 is Here
Bringing with it new responsibilities for employers and more flexibility for employees, Victoria’s updated Long Service Leave Act 2018 is here.
The most important aspect of this Act that you need to be aware of are the changes to how Long Service Leave (LSL) operates and is calculated.
We want to help you understand the impact this may have on you so we have outlined key aspects of the act here.
Who it Applies to:
The new LSL Act applies to most employees – and therefore to most employers – in Victoria. This includes those working casually, part-time, full-time, fixed term and seasonally. It also applies to people under certain labour hire agreements. Some exceptions include those under certain Commonwealth agreements or whom already fall under other long service entitlement acts.
What are the LSL Accumulation Changes?
While the act does not change the rate at which LSL accumulates, it does change when it can accumulate. Some of the key changes include, but are not limited to:
– LSL will now accumulate during all paid parental leave
– LSL will also accumulate during the first 53 weeks of unpaid parental leave
– Employees can now take LSL after being continually employed for 7 years (previously 10 years)
– LSL can now be taken just one day at a time
To help you calculate leave under the new act, the government has created a calculator. All you need to do is add in any leave that’s already been taken along with employment dates and the calculator will do the rest for you.
We’re here to help!
It can all be quite confusing at first but that doesn’t mean you should avoid learning about it. As always, the team at Scott Partners are happy to help.
For our business accounting clients, we are happy to assist by ensuring that you are meeting the legal requirements and offering your staff the right leave. Being able to care for your staff well within regulations is something that your business will be able to boast, and if you are allowing for more leave than is required, we want it to be because you chose to, not because you weren’t aware of it!
If you are after HR Professionals, we recommend the fantastic team at Happy HR.
For our personal accounting clients, please reach out to us if you think you may not be receiving the right amount of leave or to advise on how best to manage your finances in the best way around leave times.
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