Registering and updating your details in the building and construction industry
Learn about registering and updating your details for the building and construction industry portable long service payments scheme if you are a worker or contractor in NSW.
Registering for the scheme
The building and construction industry portable long service payments scheme (the scheme) is free to eligible workers and employers.
Funding for the scheme comes from a levy on all NSW building and construction work that costs $250,000 or more. The scheme works in the following way:
- The person or company responsible for that work pays the levy to Long Service Corporation (LSC).
- LSC pays long service entitlements to registered workers.
Read more about eligibility for workers.
Workers
Your employer should register you in the scheme, including casuals. You will need to determine if you are:
- a worker in the business, or
- a contractor.
Read more about eligibility for workers and contractors.
After you register
If your employer notifies LSC that you have started work, or you complete a worker registration on the Worker Portal and your registration is approved, we will send you an email confirmation.
You can find your unique registration number on your annual statement.
What you must do
- When starting a new job, you must give your employer your worker registration number.
- Check your annual statement on the Worker Portal each year to ensure all work has been recorded correctly and that your contact details are current.
- If you move interstate, contact the long service scheme in that state or territory to find out if you are eligible to register.
- Keep your contact details up to date, by either logging in to the Worker Portal or calling us on 13 14 41.
Contractors
Contractors who do eligible building and construction work can register as workers with the portable long service payments scheme and accrue service.
You may also be a worker or contractor if you are a:
- partner in a partnership
- trustee or a working director.
There's no legal requirement for contractors to join the scheme if they don't want to.
Read more about eligibility for workers and contractors.
After you register
You must:
- lodge a Self-Employed Worker Certificate of Services yearly through your tax agent
- keep your contact details up to date
- check your service record regularly
- keep accurate records.
Find out more by reading the contractor information sheet.
Working directors
You can join the scheme if you are performing eligible building work as a working director.
Read more about eligibility for working directors.
A working director needs to register as an employer and record service for their workers, including themselves.
Learn more about registering as an employer.
Tax agents
Tax agents manage long service for contractors by lodging a Self-Employed Worker Certificate of Service (SEWCOS) each year for eligible building and construction work a contractor has done in NSW.
Read more information for tax agents who are managing long service under this scheme.
Backdating your registration
Sometimes workers are registered with the scheme long after they started working in the building and construction industry. This means that they will not have credits for work they did before their registration date.
A person registered as a worker can apply for an earlier registration date. However, if the person has requested a date that is earlier than 2 years before the request was made, LSC must not fix that date unless satisfied that special circumstances warrant it doing so.
The existence of special circumstances should explain why the worker did not:
- make an objection to the accuracy of a notice of service credits, or
- apply sooner for an earlier date of registration.
Special circumstances may include but are not limited to:
- Non-English speaking background and low literacy.
- Employer failure to record service (this does not include working directors).
- Occupational isolation (work alone or in family business).
- Accountant did not advise responsibilities or obligations (self-employed, this does not include working directors).
- Illness of the worker, an immediate family member or carer's responsibilities.
You can apply for an earlier registration date and have missing service added to your record on the Worker Portal.
If you are a contractor, you will need to have a registered tax agent lodge a Self-Employed Worker Certificate of Service for each year you perform eligible building and construction work in NSW. These certificates can be completed online via the Tax Agent Portal. If there has been a delay in lodging certificates for work completed more than 2 financial years ago, you must notify us and provide evidence of special circumstances by:
- using our enquiry form, or
- calling 13 14 41.
Ending or suspending your registration
Read our information on cancelling, suspending or restoring your registration: to find out about:
- suspension and cancellation of registration
- what to do if your employer stops trading
- leaving the industry.