Frequently Asked Questions

Long service leave is an entitlement an employee generally receives after working for the same employer for a specific period of time.

In the ACT, traditional long service leave is administered by Worksafe ACT in accordance with the Long Service Leave Act (1976)

There are some industries where employees don’t typically work for the same employer for a long period of time. This is why the ACT Government introduced the Long Service Leave (Portable Schemes) Act 2009. Portable long service leave allows employees to receive long service leave entitlements, even if they work for more than one employer within the same covered industry.

Self-employed contractors can benefit from the scheme too.

ACT Leave administers portable long service leave schemes in the ACT under the Long Service Leave (Portable Schemes) Act 2009.

We help employers and workers understand their obligations and rights, support businesses to meet their compliance requirements, and ensure employers are registered with the scheme.

Our team collects levies, keeps a database of workers’ service, and processes long service leave payments.

ACT Leave is responsible for administering the scheme, but does not have responsibility for drafting the legislation, or advocating on matters relating to portable long service leave policy.

Workers who perform relevant work in the following industries are eligible for portable long service leave.

• Building and construction
• Community sector
• Security
• Services.

On 1 April 2025, the Contract Cleaning Scheme transitioned into the new Services Industry Scheme. From 1 July 2026, the Services Industry Scheme will expand to include hairdressing and beauty services and food and accommodation services.

Relevant work is the type of work described in the Act that determines if someone is eligible for portable long service leave.

Relevant work in the construction industry in the ACT includes:

• Construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, alteration, demolition or maintenance of:
  • buildings, fences or swimming pools
  • roadworks, light rail and other railways, airfields or other works for the carriage of people, animals or vehicles
  • breakwaters, docks, jetties, piers, wharves or works for the improvement or alteration of a harbour, river or watercourse for the purpose of navigation
  • works for the storage or supply of water or the irrigation of land
  • works for the carriage, treatment or disposal of sewage or the effluent from any premises
  • bridges, viaducts, aqueducts, tunnels or pipelines
  • chimney stacks, cooling towers, drilling rigs, gas holders or silos
  • structures, fixtures or works for use in any building or works mentioned above
  • navigational lights, beacons or markers
  • works for the drainage of land
  • works for the storage of liquids (other than water) or gases
  • works for the transmission of electric power or wireless or telegraphic communications
  • pile driving and site preparation
  • installing data cabling or security or electronic communication systems
  • laying floor coverings
  • hard landscaping.
• Eligible workers include apprentices and full time, part time and casual employees.
• It is also considered relevant work if a person directly supervises a worker performing relevant work. However, work undertaken as a Project Manager or Site Safety Officer for example would not be considered relevant work because they are managing the project/work rather than directly supervising the employee.

Relevant work in the community sector in the ACT includes:

• Approved education and care services under the Education and Care Services National Law (ACT) Act 2011
• Residential care services, including
  • care accommodation or homes for disadvantaged people where nursing or medical care are not provided as a major service
  • residential aged care
  • residential corrective services for young offenders.
• Community aged care services.
• Non-residential care welfare services not covered in other relevant community sector work.
• Fundraising services for welfare services.
• Employment placement services for people with disability.
• Community service advocacy services.

Relevant work in the security industry in the ACT includes:

• patrol guards
• cash-in transit guards
• guards with firearm or dog
• monitoring centre operators
• bodyguards
• security consultants (person whose function is to identify and analyse security risks and provide solutions, management strategies or both to minimise security risks)
• crowd controllers.

Relevant work does not include work that relates to security equipment such as advice, sales, maintenance, installation or repair.

It also does not include work performed by a person who is a casino employee under the Casino Control Act 2006 as well as a person who is performing a security activity in relation to an information system (including the computer hardware for the system).

Employers and workers will be covered under the Services Industry Scheme if they operate within the:

• contract cleaning industry
• hairdressing and beauty services, within the meaning of the ANZSIC, Division S, Class 9511
• accommodation and food services, including hospitality services, within the meaning of the ANZSIC, Division H.

Contract cleaning
Cleaning work provided to other people through the provision of workers’ services which involves:

• work that has a sole or main purpose of making or keeping premises clean
• collecting or sorting waste at or for a waste management facility, provided the employer has a contract with the ACT Government.

Hairdressing and beauty
Work in the hairdressing and beauty services industry includes:

• hairdressing and barbering services such as cutting, grooming, styling and shaving hair or beards
• hair restoration services, such as regrowth treatment
• beauty services, such as waxing, electrolysis, threading
• make-up services
• nail care, such as manicures and pedicures
• non-medical skin care, such as facials
• tanning, such as spray-tans.

Accommodation
Work in the accommodation industry must be for a business providing short-term accommodation for visitors, in a hotel, motel, or other similar establishment and includes, but is not limited to:

• front of house services, such as a receptionist, host, housekeeper, concierge, room attendant, parking attendant etc.
• serving food and/or beverages to customers for consumption generally on the premises, performed by a server, waitstaff, cashier etc.
• preparing food and/or beverages to be served to customers for consumption generally on the premises, such as a chef, kitchenhand, barista, bartender etc.

Accommodation and food services work does not include providing professional, scientific and technical services, such as head office management, accounting, human resources, marketing, advertising, legal, etc. (within the meaning of the ANZSIC, Division M).

Cafés and restaurants
Work in the café and restaurant industry includes:

• serving food and/or beverages to customers for consumption generally on the premises, performed by a server, waitstaff, cashier etc.
• preparing food and/or beverages to be served to customers for consumption generally on the premises, performed by a chef, kitchenhand, barista, bartender etc.

Takeaway food
Work in takeaway food service settings includes:

• serving food and/or beverages to customers for consumption on or off the premises
• preparing food and/or beverages to be served to customers for consumption on or off the premises, which could be performed by a chef, kitchenhand, barista, bartender etc.

Catering
Work in catering services includes:

• airline food catering
• general catering for specified events or locations.

Pubs, taverns and bars
Work in a pub, tavern and bar establishment includes:

• serving food and/or beverages to customers for consumption generally on the premises, performed by a server, waitstaff, cashier etc.
• preparing food and/or beverages to be served to customers for consumption generally on the premises, performed by a chef, kitchenhand, barista, bartender etc.

Clubs (hospitality)
Work in a hospitality club includes:

• serving food and/or beverages to customers for consumption generally on the premises, performed by a server, waitstaff, cashier etc.
• preparing food and/or beverages to be served to customers for consumption generally on the premises, performed by a chef, kitchenhand, barista, bartender etc.

Incidental work performed by workers which contributes to the services industry is included in coverage. For example, stocktake may not be attributed to the role of a worker employed as a bartender, however the worker is requested to assist with this from time to time to support the business and contribute to the overall service delivery. These incidental stocktake duties are therefore covered in the Services Industry Scheme.

Note: Incidental work does not include providing professional, scientific and technical services such as head office management, accounting, human resources, marketing, advertising, legal, etc. (within the meaning of the ANZSIC, Division M).

All employers and workers in the contract cleaning industry already registered with ACT Leave, have been automatically transferred to the new Services Industry Scheme from 1 April 2025.

New contract cleaning industry employers not previously registered with ACT Leave will need to register into the Services Industry Scheme.

Visit the Services page for more information.

Building and construction

 Community sector

Security

Services

If you have employees that perform relevant work in the ACT, then you are required by law to register with us no later than one month after becoming an employer for the covered industry, or by the end of any additional time the Registrar allows.

Watch this video The Registration Process to find out more.

To register, you need to complete and submit an Employer Registration Application.

Please contact us if you have a large number of employees to register or are unsure if you need to backdate service.

If you’re an employer, registering your business is quick and easy. Simply complete the registration form on our website. Your registration will take effect on 1 July 2026, when your industry officially joins the Services Industry Scheme.

If you’re a worker, your employer will register you when they submit their first quarterly return—due by 31 October 2026.

Once registered, we’ll email your registration number along with instructions on how to access the client portal. If you think you have not been registered, please check with your employer in the first instance.

Keep an eye on the Services industry pages for more information as it becomes available.

Please contact us if you have a large number of employees to register.

If you are already registered as an Employer, and just want to register employees, you can include your new employees in your next quarterly return submission.

If you are a Services Industry Scheme employer, your employees will be registered for portable long service leave after you submit your first quarterly return in October 2026.

Check out this guide for how to submit a quarterly return.

If you have employees performing relevant work in the ACT, you must be registered. Only employees performing relevant work in the ACT are required to have their service recorded with ACT Leave.