Understanding your portable long service leave in the community services industry
Learn about the portable long service leave scheme for community service workers, how the scheme is funded and how to accrue your long service.
About the scheme
The Long Service Corporation (LSC) provides portable long service leave for full-time, part-time, and casual workers who either:
- carry out community service work, or
- work for an employer whose predominant purpose is to provide a community service in NSW.
The community services industry portable long service leave scheme (the scheme) started on 1 July 2025 and recognises your service to the industry. If you change employers, your service to the industry and the contributions made by your employer stay with the portable scheme and count towards your future claim.
You can work in any of the 31 types of community service areas and remain part of the scheme. If you take a job outside the scheme, you can keep your portable leave for 4 years in case you want to return to the sector.
How the scheme is funded
LSC collects levy contributions from employers. We invest this money in a collective fund and the fund pays workers long service leave when they are eligible.
Employers are required to register with us and submit quarterly employer service returns. We use this information to track each worker’s time and earnings, which builds up their service credits towards long service leave entitlements.
Long service paid by your employer
If you've worked for the same employer continuously for 10 years, you may be eligible for a long service leave payment from them.
The portable scheme does not replace the Long Service Leave Act 1955 (the 1955 Act) so workers who have existing long service leave entitlements with their employer will access that leave directly from their employer once they are eligible.
Workers registered with the scheme
If you’re a community service worker in NSW who is registered with the scheme you become eligible for portable long service leave after 7 years of service to the industry with one or more employers and can claim up to 6 weeks’ paid leave.
Foundation workers (those working in the first 6 months of the scheme since 1 July 2025) receive an additional year of service credits as a bonus, allowing these workers to access leave after 6 years.
Your long service leave does not need to be taken straight away or all at one time.
Find out more about the foundation worker bonus and how to receive it.
Self-employed contractors
If you're a self-employed contractor who performs community service work, you can opt into the scheme by registering as a worker and employer to accrue long service leave. You must:
- record your own service
- lodge your own returns, and
- pay your own levy.
If you're a self-employed contractor who employs people to perform community service work, you must include all eligible workers in your service returns.
Read more about what self-employed contractors must do.
How you accrue long service
You need to be registered with LSC to start accruing portable long service leave entitlements.
If you’re eligible, your employer will enrol you when they submit an employer return. You must complete your registration to receive your worker registration number, which you’ll need to use with all employers to continue accruing portable long service leave.
Read more about how you earn service credits.
Work in other states or territories
LSC covers community service work you do in NSW.
Victoria, ACT, Queensland and South Australia have similar portable long service schemes for the community services industry.
Service recorded with another portable long service scheme can be combined with your NSW service records to calculate your entitlement for long service leave payments.
Workers who have interstate service and have at least 60 days of recorded service in NSW can contact LSC for interstate claims.
Interstate agreements with neighbouring states (including Victoria, ACT and Queensland) are being explored. More updates will be shared as soon as they are available.