Annual Leave Calculator

How the annual leave calculator works

1. 1

   Choose your working pattern

   Use regular hours to get an answer in hours based on your ordinary weekly hours, or regular days if you prefer a day-count answer for a fixed weekly pattern.

2. 2

   Enter your ordinary hours per week

   Full-time is commonly 38 ordinary hours a week under an award or agreement. Part-time employees enter their own ordinary hours, and leave accrues proportionally to that figure.

3. 3

   Indicate whether you are an eligible shiftworker

   Some shiftworkers who regularly work Sundays and public holidays on a roster are entitled to an extra week of annual leave (5 weeks instead of 4) under the NES. Check your award or agreement for the specific eligibility test.

4. 4

   Set the part of the year you are calculating

   If you started or are leaving partway through the year, set the number of months. The calculator pro-rates the annual entitlement for that shorter period.

The NES annual leave formula

Annual entitlement = ordinary hours per week x statutory weeks (4, or 5 for eligible shiftworkers) Period entitlement = annual entitlement x (months worked / 12)

• •The National Employment Standards set 4 weeks of paid annual leave as the minimum for full-time employees, with part-time employees accruing the same proportion of their own ordinary hours.
• •Eligible shiftworkers who regularly work Sundays and public holidays get an extra week (5 weeks total) under the NES shiftworker provision.
• •This is entitlement, not leave loading -- some awards and agreements add a separate percentage loading on top of the base leave pay, which this calculator does not include.
• •An award, enterprise agreement or contract can always provide more than the NES minimum, but never less.

Worked example: a full-time employee on 38 ordinary hours a week

A full-time employee works 38 ordinary hours a week for the whole year and is not a shiftworker.

Ordinary hours per week

38

Statutory weeks

4

Annual leave entitlement

152 hours (20 days)

Months worked

12

Leave accrued for the period

152 hours (20 days)

The employee accrues 152 hours, or 20 days, of paid annual leave over the full year.

NES annual leave entitlement by employee type

Minimum entitlement under the National Employment Standards. Awards and agreements can be more generous but not less.

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Ombudsman

Who gets NES annual leave, and what is not included

Full-time and part-time employees are covered

Both full-time and part-time employees accrue paid annual leave under the NES from the start of employment, with part-time accrual proportional to ordinary hours worked.

Casual employees are not entitled to NES annual leave

Casual employees do not accrue paid annual leave under the National Employment Standards, which is one of the trade-offs against the casual loading they are paid instead.

The shiftworker extra week has a specific test

The additional week for shiftworkers is not automatic for anyone working shifts -- it applies to employees who are regularly rostered to work Sundays and public holidays, as defined by the relevant award or agreement.

Leave loading is separate from base entitlement

Some modern awards and enterprise agreements pay an additional percentage loading (commonly around 17.5%) on top of the base annual leave pay when leave is taken. This calculator estimates entitlement in weeks/hours, not the loading payment.

Frequently asked questions

How much annual leave do I get in Australia?

Full-time employees are entitled to a minimum of 4 weeks of paid annual leave a year under the National Employment Standards, and eligible shiftworkers who regularly work Sundays and public holidays get 5 weeks. Part-time employees accrue the same 4 weeks proportionally to their ordinary hours, so someone working half the full-time hours accrues half the leave.

Do casual employees get annual leave?

No. Casual employees are not entitled to paid annual leave under the National Employment Standards. This is generally offset by casual loading, an additional percentage paid on top of the base hourly rate to compensate for the lack of leave and other permanent-employee entitlements.

Who qualifies for the extra shiftworker week of annual leave?

The NES gives an additional week of annual leave (5 weeks instead of 4) to employees defined as shiftworkers who are regularly rostered to work on Sundays and public holidays. The precise eligibility test is set out in the applicable award or enterprise agreement, so check the specific definition that applies to your role rather than assuming any shift work qualifies.

What is annual leave loading?

Leave loading is an additional percentage, commonly around 17.5% under many modern awards, paid on top of the base pay rate when annual leave is taken. It is not part of the NES minimum itself -- it comes from the specific award, enterprise agreement or contract that applies to the employee, and not every employee is entitled to it.

Does annual leave accrue while I am on parental leave?

Paid annual leave does not accrue during a period of unpaid parental leave under the NES, but taking paid annual leave does not affect an employee's other entitlements. Check the specific interaction rules in the National Employment Standards if you are combining different types of leave.