Annual Leave Calculator Australia
Build an annual-leave accrual ledger from ordinary weekly hours, a four- or five-week annual entitlement, accruing service, opening balance and leave used. Translate the projected hours into work weeks, rostered days and an indicative base-pay value. The result is a Fair Work NES-style planning cross-check, not a payroll record or award interpretation.
Enter the accrual period
Payment rules, loading, penalties, changing ordinary hours, roster cycles, cashing out, termination and tax can differ. Reconcile with the applicable award or agreement and payroll record.
Four weeks means four ordinary working weeks
Under the National Employment Standards, full-time and part-time employees generally receive four weeks of paid annual leave based on ordinary hours of work. An eligible shiftworker can receive five weeks where the applicable award or enterprise agreement defines the employee for that additional entitlement. Casual employees do not receive paid annual leave under the NES.
A part-time employee working 20 ordinary hours per week accrues 80 hours across a full accruing year under a four-week entitlement. A full-time employee working 38 ordinary hours accrues 152 hours. The entitlement scales with ordinary hours; it is not automatically 152 hours for every non-casual employee.
Period accrual: ordinary weekly hours × annual entitlement weeks × accruing weeks ÷ 52.
Closing balance: opening hours + period accrual − leave taken.
After booking: closing balance − future booked hours.
The formula uses 52 weeks as a transparent planning year. Payroll systems can accrue against ordinary hours in each pay cycle and retain more decimal precision. Calendar years are not exactly 52 weeks, and employment patterns can change. Use the employer’s leave record for final balances.
Leave accumulates progressively and carries over
Annual leave starts accumulating from the first day of employment, including probation, and unused leave carries over from year to year. It continues to accrue during paid annual leave, paid personal or carer’s leave, paid family and domestic violence leave, community service leave such as jury duty, and long service leave, subject to the governing rules.
Fair Work guidance states that annual leave generally does not accumulate during unpaid annual leave, unpaid sick or carer’s leave, unpaid parental leave, or a period of annual leave already cashed out. The Australian Government Paid Parental Leave Scheme is not employer-paid leave; where the employee is taking unpaid leave from the employer, annual leave generally does not accumulate for that period.
The non-accruing-weeks field does not decide which absence belongs there. Confirm the absence type, award, agreement and Fair Work Act treatment. Partial weeks should be converted carefully, and public holidays during annual leave can affect how leave is debited.
Hours, weeks and days are three views of one balance
The authoritative payroll balance is commonly stored in hours. Dividing by current ordinary weekly hours gives equivalent current working weeks. Dividing by ordinary hours in a rostered day gives a day count. Both conversions assume the hours entered reflect the roster relevant to the leave.
A compressed week, changing part-time pattern or variable roster can make “days” ambiguous. Ten hours may be one rostered shift for one employee and more than one day for another. Leave requested for a particular period is generally paid and debited according to the ordinary hours that would have been worked.
If ordinary weekly hours change, do not automatically rescale a stored balance without checking the legal and payroll method. Keep the hour balance, historical roster and effective dates. The employer’s system should apply the applicable rules to a leave request.
| Output | Calculation | Main caution |
|---|---|---|
| Accrued hours | Ordinary weekly hours × entitlement fraction | Actual pay-cycle precision can differ |
| Work weeks | Balance ÷ current ordinary weekly hours | Weekly pattern may change |
| Rostered days | Balance ÷ entered ordinary day hours | Variable shifts need roster detail |
| Pay value | Positive hours × entered base rate and loading | Not a termination or payroll quote |
Payment during leave is not always base rate plus 17.5%
The NES provides payment at the employee’s base rate of pay for ordinary hours during annual leave. Awards, enterprise agreements or contracts can provide leave loading or another payment method, including comparison with weekend or shift penalties. The familiar 17.5% is not a universal entitlement.
The calculator multiplies a positive closing balance by the entered hourly base rate and applies the entered loading percentage. It excludes overtime, allowances, bonuses, incentive payments, penalties and other separately governed amounts. Set loading to zero unless the applicable instrument supports it.
Unused annual leave is generally paid out when employment ends, including loading that would have applied during employment where required. Tax withholding and termination rules need the actual payroll context. The planning value here is not a final payout figure.
Taking, directing and booking leave require process
An employee can request annual leave, and an employer must not unreasonably refuse a request. Awards and agreements can set notice, shutdown and excessive-accrual provisions. Employer and employee should communicate early and retain approval records.
Public holidays during a period of annual leave are generally not counted as annual leave when the employee would ordinarily work that day. Other absences arising during booked leave can have their own rules. This page debits exactly the hours entered and does not inspect dates or public holidays.
The future-booked field is a planning subtraction only. A negative projected number shows that the booking exceeds the estimated closing balance; it does not determine whether leave in advance can be approved. Leave in advance may require a written agreement under an award or agreement.
Cashing out annual leave has safeguards
Annual leave may be cashed out only where the applicable award or agreement permits it and the legal requirements are met. Fair Work guidance includes a written agreement for each occasion, the same payment as if leave were taken, and retention of a minimum balance. Award-free arrangements also have statutory conditions.
An employer cannot force an employee to cash out leave, and an agreement cannot be used to avoid taking a genuine break. Cashing out changes the balance and generally does not create further accrual for the cashed-out leave period. Use the official guidance and applicable instrument, not a simple debit entry alone.
Excessive accrual provisions can permit directions or requests in defined circumstances. Those provisions include notice and remaining-balance safeguards. Seek workplace advice if records are disputed or pressure is applied improperly.
Reconcile the calculator with payroll evidence
Collect payslips showing leave movements, the employment contract, roster, classification, award or enterprise agreement and records of unpaid absences. Confirm the opening balance date and whether the leave-taken input is already reflected. A duplicate debit is a common spreadsheet error.
Check ordinary hours and entitlement changed over the period. A move from part-time to full-time requires separate accrual segments rather than one average if precision matters. An employee becoming or ceasing to be an eligible shiftworker can also require dated treatment.
If the result differs, compare pay period by pay period and retain full decimal precision. Fair Work’s Pay and Conditions Tool and Leave Calculator can assist, while the employer must keep accurate leave records. Raise discrepancies promptly through workplace processes or obtain Fair Work assistance.
Annual leave calculation questions
How much annual leave does a part-time employee accrue?
Generally four weeks based on their ordinary weekly hours. A 20-hour week produces 80 hours across a full accruing year.
Do casual employees use this calculator?
Not for an NES paid annual-leave entitlement. Casual employees generally do not receive paid annual leave under the NES.
Does annual leave accrue while I take annual leave?
Generally yes, because paid annual leave is an accruing absence. Do not enter it as a non-accruing period.
Is 17.5% leave loading automatic?
No. Loading depends on the applicable award, enterprise agreement or contract. Enter zero unless the entitlement is established.
Are public holidays deducted from annual leave?
Generally not when the public holiday falls during annual leave on a day the employee would ordinarily work. Check the actual dates and rules.
Can the pay-value result be used as a termination payout?
No. Termination payment, loading, withholding and instrument rules need payroll calculations using the verified balance and circumstances.
References
- Fair Work Ombudsman. (2026). Annual leave.
- Fair Work Ombudsman. (2026). Taking annual leave.
- Fair Work Ombudsman. (2026). Payment for annual leave.
- Fair Work Ombudsman. (2026). Cashing out annual leave.
- Fair Work Ombudsman. (2026). Leave Calculator.
- Australian Government. (2026). Fair Work Act 2009, sections 86–94.