Annual Leave Calculator Australia – NES Accrual
Estimate paid annual leave under the National Employment Standards from a start date and ordinary weekly hours. Full-time and part-time employees accrue 4 weeks for each year of service, pro rata to those ordinary hours. Eligible shiftworkers accrue 5 weeks. An optional 17.5% leave-loading toggle is included as an award-dependent note only.
How NES annual leave is accrued
The NES gives a non-casual employee 4 weeks of paid annual leave for each year of service with that employer. Leave builds from the first day of employment, in line with ordinary hours actually worked. A year of 38 ordinary hours a week is 152 hours of leave. A year of 20 ordinary hours a week is 80 hours — four of that employee’s working weeks, not four full-time weeks.
This calculator converts the calendar time between the start date and the as-at date into a year fraction, multiplies by 4 weeks (or 5 weeks for an eligible shiftworker), then multiplies by the ordinary weekly hours. Hours already taken are subtracted. Ordinary hours above 38 are treated as 38, because the NES ordinary-hours cap is 38 a week.
Leave loading is award-dependent
Annual leave under the NES is paid at the employee’s base rate for ordinary hours. Overtime, penalties, allowances and bonuses sit outside that base rate unless an award or agreement says otherwise. Many modern awards add a 17.5% loading when leave is taken, or the higher of that loading and the weekend or shift penalties the employee would have earned. The NES itself does not create that loading.
Use the optional toggle only as a reminder. Confirm the wording in the applicable award or registered agreement before treating 17.5% as payable.
What this calculator does not cover
Cashing out annual leave, shut-down directions, award extra weeks, unpaid parental leave gaps, and the higher-of-loading-or-penalties comparison are outside this page. Long service leave is a separate state entitlement — see the NSW long service leave calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much annual leave do full-time and part-time employees get?
Under the National Employment Standards, an employee other than a casual accrues 4 weeks of paid annual leave for each year of service. The weeks are the employee’s own ordinary hours, so a part-time employee who works 20 ordinary hours a week accrues 80 hours in a year. That is the Fair Work Ombudsman’s published part-time example.
Who gets 5 weeks of annual leave?
Some shiftworkers accrue 5 weeks instead of 4. If an award or registered agreement applies, it must define the employee as a shiftworker for NES purposes. Award-free employees can qualify only if the workplace runs a continuous 24-hour, 7-day roster, the employee is regularly rostered on those shifts, and the employee regularly works Sundays and public holidays. Tick the shiftworker box only when those tests are met.
Do casual employees accrue annual leave?
No. The NES annual leave minimum does not apply to casual employees. Casual loading is a separate topic and is not converted into paid annual leave on this page.
Is 17.5% leave loading part of the NES?
No. The NES pays annual leave at the base rate for ordinary hours. A 17.5% loading appears in many modern awards, but only where the award or agreement says so. Some awards pay the higher of 17.5% or the weekend or shift penalties the employee would have earned. The loading toggle is an optional note, not a NES right.
Does annual leave keep accruing while I am on leave?
It keeps accruing during paid annual leave, paid sick and carer’s leave, long service leave, some community service leave, and a stand down that counts as service. It generally does not accrue during unpaid leave, including unpaid parental leave while the Australian Government Paid Parental Leave scheme is paying the employee. This calculator assumes ordinary hours continue unless you shorten the date range.
Is this legal or financial advice?
No. This page is general information about the published NES annual leave minimum. It is not legal advice, not an employment assessment, and not financial product advice. In line with ASIC’s general-information approach, we do not recommend a product or a course of action. Check the Fair Work Ombudsman pages and the applicable award or agreement before you rely on a figure.
Disclaimer
This page is general information only. It is not legal advice, not tax advice, and not financial product advice. In line with ASIC guidance, we do not recommend a product or a particular employment decision. Confirm entitlements with the Fair Work Ombudsman and the instrument that covers the employment before you act.