The Services Union

Portable Long Service Leave for the Community Services Industry - Now A Reality!

Today, Wednesday 17 June, the Community Services Industry (Portable Long Service Leave) Bill 2019, was passed and will ensure the establishment of the scheme.

To read more about this click here.

Thank you to all those who have supported the campaign to make Portable Long Service Leave a reality for the Community Services Industry.

To be part of more campaigns like this one, that seek to shape the Social and Community Services Industry, become a member of The Services Union – you can join online.

Resources:

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What Is Long Service Leave?

Working people in Australia are entitled to take long service leave as part of their basic rights as workers.

This leave is designed to give working people a decent break after being in a job for a long period and is an exceptional condition won many years ago by union members.

Long Service Leave Can Be Accessed in Queensland:

7 years
After 7 years’ continual employment - This is called pro-rata long service leave.
10 years
After 10 years’ continual service - up to 8.6667 weeks with a safe job guarantee upon your return.
After continual part-time and casual employment - with one employer, on a pro rata basis.

Click here to read more about the QLD Entitlement

8.6667 weeks of paid lsl after 10 years continuous service

Employees who have completed 7 but less than 10 years continuous service are entitle to pro-rata long service leave only If:

the employee's service is terminated by their death
the employee terminates their service because of their illness or incapacity or because of a domestic or other pressing necessity
the employer dismisses the employee for a reason other than the employee's conduct, capcity or performance or
the employer unfairly dismisses the employee

An enterprise agreement may provide a greater entitlement than what is provided under the Act.

But Not In The Community Sector

Working people in the Community Sector very rarely get to access Long Service Leave.

This is because funding regularly shifts from one organisation to another due to competitive tendering. Staff are typically employed on contracts linked to funding cycles and often have to move between organisations to follow the funding. Every time you shift employers, you lose your leave entitlements.

As part of our broader Investing in Quality Services Campaign, The Services Union is campaigning
for a scheme where you can carry your Long Service Leave entitlements with you as you move from
employer to employer, or job to job within the sector.

We believe that the introduction of portable Long Service Leave will benefit
you, your colleagues and the sector enormously.

This scheme will provide a decent break for experienced and dedicated working people as well as
help attract a new generation of workers to the sector. There are also significant economic
benefits for organisations, as leave liabilities are removed from their balance sheets and
managed by an independent scheme.

It’s Long Overdue

It’s time to make Long Service Leave a priority—not just for employees, but employers too! Portable Long Service Leave retains people and knowledge in the sector, which makes sense for everyone.