Annual Leave Calculator
Work out annual leave accrued from hours worked in Australia, full-time or part-time, with leave loading and days deducted after state public holidays.
Annual leave accrued
20 daysWorking 38 hours a week for 52 weeks accrues 20 days of annual leave (152 hours, or 4 weeks), at 2.92 hours per week under the National Employment Standards.
| Entitlement per year | 4 weeks (152 h) |
|---|---|
| Accrues per week worked | 2.92 h |
| Ordinary hours worked | 1,976 h |
| Leave accrued | 20 days · 152 h · 4 weeks |
How this was calculated
| NES entitlement: 4 weeks per year of service | 4 |
|---|---|
| Accrual rate: 4 ÷ 52 = 0.0769 hours of leave per ordinary hour worked | 0.0769 |
| Ordinary hours worked: 1,976 | 1,976 |
| Leave accrued: 1,976 × 0.0769 = 152 hours1976 × 4/52 | 152 |
Working 38 hours a week for 52 weeks accrues 20 days of annual leave (152 hours, or 4 weeks), at 2.92 hours per week under the National Employment Standards.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman Last verified How we keep this accurate
How annual leave is calculated in Australia
The National Employment Standards (NES) in the Fair Work Act 2009 give every full-time and part-time employee 4 weeks of paid annual leave for each year of service with their employer. Eligible shift workers get 5 weeks. The leave accrues progressively on ordinary hours worked, so the calculation is:
- Ordinary hours worked in the period (not overtime).
- Multiply by the accrual rate: 4 weeks ÷ 52 weeks = 0.0769 hours of leave per ordinary hour worked (0.0962 for shift workers).
- Convert to days by dividing by the hours in a normal day, or to weeks by dividing by weekly hours.
- Value it at the ordinary hourly rate, plus leave loading if the award or agreement provides it.
How much annual leave do I accrue per week?
A 38-hour full-timer accrues 2.92 hours a week and 152 hours a year. The table shows the accrual for common part-time patterns; each row is the same 4 weeks of that employee’s own week.
| Hours per week | Accrues per week | Per year (hours) | Per year (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0.77 h | 40 h | 20 |
| 15 | 1.15 h | 60 h | 20 |
| 20 | 1.54 h | 80 h | 20 |
| 25 | 1.92 h | 100 h | 20 |
| 30 | 2.31 h | 120 h | 20 |
| 32 | 2.46 h | 128 h | 20 |
| 35 | 2.69 h | 140 h | 20 |
| 38 | 2.92 h | 152 h | 20 |
How many days of leave are deducted when I take time off?
Only the days you would have worked. Weekends are not annual leave, and under section 89 of the Fair Work Act a public holiday that falls during a period of annual leave is paid as a public holiday, not deducted from your balance. Two weeks off over Easter 2026 in Victoria (30 March to 10 April) covers 10 weekdays but only 8 days of leave, because Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays. Enter your dates and state in the calculator to see the deduction; the holiday lists come from our public holidays pages.
Leave loading
Many awards pay 17.5% leave loading on annual leave, originally to compensate for lost overtime and penalties while on holiday. It is set by the award, enterprise agreement or contract, not by the NES, and some awards instead pay whichever is higher of the loading and the shift or weekend penalties the employee would have earned. Turn on leave loading in the calculator and adjust the rate to match your award.
What this calculator doesn’t cover
- Casual employees (no annual leave; casual loading instead).
- Awards or agreements with more than 4 weeks, or with cashing-out and excessive-leave rules.
- Averaging arrangements and annualised salaries.
- Tax on unused leave paid out on termination.
- Local public holidays that apply only in part of a state (the deduction uses statewide holidays).
Frequently asked questions
How much annual leave do I accrue each week?
A full-time employee on 38 hours a week accrues 2.92 hours of annual leave a week, which adds up to 152 hours (4 weeks, or 20 days) over a year. Part-time employees accrue the same proportion of their own hours: someone on 20 hours a week accrues 1.54 hours a week, or 80 hours a year. The rate is 4 weeks divided by 52, or 0.0769 hours per ordinary hour worked.
How is annual leave calculated in Australia?
Under the National Employment Standards, full-time and part-time employees get 4 weeks of paid annual leave for each year of service, based on their ordinary hours. It accrues progressively from the first day, so after 6 months a full-timer has about 76 hours. Eligible shift workers get 5 weeks. Awards and agreements can add more but not less. Casuals get a higher hourly rate instead of leave.
Do public holidays count as annual leave?
No. If a public holiday falls on a day you would normally work while you are on annual leave, it is paid as a public holiday and is not deducted from your leave balance (Fair Work Act s 89). Weekends are not deducted either. The calculator excludes weekends and the statewide public holidays for the state you choose when it counts the days deducted.
What is leave loading and how is it calculated?
Leave loading is an extra payment, most often 17.5% of the ordinary pay for the leave, that some awards and agreements require. On 152 hours of leave at $30 an hour, the leave pay is $4,560 and the loading adds $798. It is not part of the National Employment Standards, so it depends on the award, agreement or contract; some awards pay the higher of the loading or the penalties the employee would have earned.
Does annual leave accrue on overtime?
No. Annual leave accrues on ordinary hours only, so overtime hours are paid but do not add to the leave balance. Paid leave, including annual leave and paid personal leave, counts as service and continues to accrue leave. Unpaid leave usually does not count, except for community service leave and some periods set out in the award or agreement.
Does annual leave accrue on unpaid leave or parental leave?
Unpaid leave, including unpaid parental leave, generally does not count as service for annual leave accrual, so the balance stays where it was until the employee returns. Paid parental leave from the employer counts. The government-paid Parental Leave Pay scheme does not by itself count as service. Check the award or agreement, which can be more generous.
Is unused annual leave paid out when I leave?
Yes. Any accrued but untaken annual leave is paid out on termination at the rate the employee would have received if they had taken the leave, including leave loading where the award or agreement provides it. The payout is taxed under the ATO's rules for unused leave on termination, which differ from normal pay and are outside this calculator.
Does this calculator handle part-time hours?
Yes. Choose part-time and enter ordinary hours per week. Accrual is pro-rata, so a 20-hour employee accrues half the hours of a 38-hour employee but the same 4 weeks of their own working pattern. For days deducted when taking leave, set days worked per week so the calculator uses the right hours per day.
Sources and assumptions
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