Understanding portable long service leave

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Portable long service leave

The Long Service Corporation (LSC) provides portable long service leave for full-time, part-time, and casual workers who either:

  • carry out community service work, or
  • work for an employer whose predominant purpose is to provide a community service in NSW.

The Community Services Industry portable long service leave scheme (the scheme) started on 1 July 2025 and rewards you for your service to the industry. If you change employers, your service to the industry and the contributions made by your employer stay with the portable scheme and counts towards your future claim.

You can work in any of the 31 types of community service areas and remain part of the scheme. If you take a job outside the scheme, you can keep your portable leave for 4 years in case you want to return to the sector.

Employers of community service workers pay a levy to the LSC. These levy contributions accumulate to form your long service leave payments. The LSC is responsible for managing this fund.

Long service paid by your employer

If you've worked for the same employer continuously for 10 years, you may be eligible for a long service leave payment from them. The portable scheme doesn’t replace traditional long service leave, so workers who have existing long service leave entitlements with their employer will still access that leave once they’re eligible.

Workers registered with the scheme

If you’re a community service worker in NSW who is registered with the Community Services Industry portable long service leave scheme (the scheme) you become eligible for portable long service leave after 7 years of service to the industry with 1 or more employers and can claim up to 6 weeks’ paid leave. It doesn’t need to be taken straight away or all at one time.

If you're a self-employed contractor, you can opt into the scheme by registering as both an employer and worker to accrue long service leave. You must record your own service, lodge your own returns and pay your own levy. To learn more, see information for self-employed contractors.

From 29 April 2026, a new online portal will be available to workers to allow you to confirm your registration and view your service history.

Foundation worker bonus

Foundation workers will receive 1 year of bonus service credits. They may claim their paid leave a year earlier, after 6 years of service to the industry.

Foundation workers are:

  • registered workers who were employed in the first 6 months of the scheme’s commencement (1 July to 31 December 2025), or
  • self-employed contractors who opt into the scheme as workers and were doing paid community service work in the first 6 months of the scheme's commencement (1 July to 31 December 2025).

How you accrue long service

You need to be registered with the Long Service Corporation to start accruing portable long service leave entitlements.

If you’re eligible, your employer will enrol you when they submit an employer return. You must complete your registration to receive your worker registration number, which you’ll need to use with all employers to continue accruing portable long service leave.

How service is recorded

Your employer will lodge a service return with us every quarter. The return includes:

  • when you started or finished employment with your employer
  • gross ordinary wages paid to you for community service work performed during that period.

Service credits

You earn 1 service day credit for each calendar day that:

  • you engaged in work during a return period, or
  • your employer reported you as being on approved leave without pay during a return period, such as government paid parental leave or insurer paid workers compensation.

Your service credits are added together to calculate your total long service leave.

Work on Commonwealth places

As Commonwealth places fall under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth Government, work conducted on Commonwealth places cannot be credited under the Community Services Industry portable long service leave scheme, administered by the Long Service Corporation.

Examples of Commonwealth places in NSW include:

  • Federal and Family Courts
  • Villawood Immigration Detention Centre.

If suitable evidence is provided and accepted by the Long Service Corporation, work on a Commonwealth Place can be recorded on your record as non-service days to preserve your registration.

Contact us

For more information, phone our helpline on 13 14 41
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