Annual Leave Calculator — How Many Days Do You Have? [2026 Guide]
Calculate exactly how many annual leave days you have accrued. Learn the accrual rate (2.923 hours/week), pro-rata for part-time, mid-year calculations, cashing out rules, and maximum accumulation.
The basic entitlement — 4 weeks (20 days) for full-time employees
Under the National Employment Standards, all full-time employees in Australia are entitled to 4 weeks (20 days) of paid annual leave per year. This is based on a standard 38-hour working week, so the entitlement is technically 152 hours per year. The leave accrues progressively throughout the year from the first day of employment — you do not have to wait until the end of the year to start using it. Annual leave accumulates from year to year if not taken, meaning any unused leave carries forward into the next year. There is no cap on how much annual leave you can accumulate under the NES (though some awards and agreements may address excessive accumulation). Some employees receive 5 weeks of annual leave per year instead of 4. This applies to shift workers as defined by their relevant modern award — typically, employees who work a rotating roster that includes regular weekend, evening, or night shifts. Check your award for the specific definition of shift worker. Annual leave is paid at the employee's base rate of pay for ordinary hours, which includes any applicable loadings for shift work or similar but does not include overtime or penalty rates. Some awards also require an annual leave loading of 17.5% on top of the base rate when leave is taken.
The accrual rate — 2.923 hours per week explained
Annual leave accrues progressively throughout the year based on ordinary hours worked. For a full-time employee working 38 hours per week, the accrual rate is: 152 hours per year / 52 weeks = 2.923 hours per week. This means for every week you work, you accumulate approximately 2.923 hours of annual leave. Expressed differently: for every ordinary hour worked, you accrue 0.0769 hours of annual leave (2.923 / 38). You can use this rate to calculate your accrual at any point during the year. For example, if you started a new full-time job on 1 January and want to know your leave balance on 1 July (26 weeks later): 26 weeks x 2.923 hours = 76 hours (approximately 10 days or 2 weeks). For part-time employees, the accrual is pro-rata based on ordinary hours. If you work 20 hours per week, your annual entitlement is: (20 / 38) x 152 = 80 hours per year, which accrues at 80 / 52 = 1.538 hours per week. Casual employees do not accrue annual leave — the 25% casual loading is intended to compensate for the absence of paid leave entitlements, among other things. However, if a casual employee converts to permanent employment, their leave accrual begins from the date of conversion.
How to calculate your leave mid-year — step by step
To calculate your annual leave balance at any point during the year, follow these steps. Step one — identify your starting balance. This is the leave you had accumulated at the start of the current leave year (or employment, if you started mid-year). Check your most recent payslip, which should show your current leave balance. Step two — calculate new accrual. Count the number of complete weeks since your leave balance was last updated. Multiply by your weekly accrual rate (2.923 hours for full-time, pro-rata for part-time). Step three — subtract leave taken. Deduct any annual leave you have taken during the period. Step four — add back any leave adjustments. If you worked additional ordinary hours (for example, extra shifts in a part-time arrangement), additional accrual may apply. Example: Sarah is a full-time employee. On 1 January her leave balance was 87.69 hours (approximately 11.5 days). It is now 1 April (13 weeks later). She took one week of leave in February. New accrual: 13 weeks x 2.923 = 38 hours. Leave taken: 38 hours (1 week). New balance: 87.69 + 38 - 38 = 87.69 hours (approximately 11.5 days). Note that annual leave does not accrue during periods of unpaid leave, unpaid parental leave, or unauthorised absence — but it does accrue during paid leave (including annual leave itself, personal leave, and long service leave).
Does annual leave accrue during unpaid leave, workers comp, and other absences?
Whether annual leave continues to accrue during an absence depends on the type of absence. Paid leave — annual leave accrues during all forms of paid leave including annual leave itself, personal/carer's leave, long service leave, community service leave (jury duty), and paid parental leave (the employer-funded component). This means taking annual leave does not reduce your accrual rate. Unpaid leave — annual leave generally does not accrue during periods of unpaid leave. If you take unpaid leave for a week, your annual leave accrual stops for that week. Unpaid parental leave — annual leave does not accrue during unpaid parental leave under the NES. However, some enterprise agreements may provide for continued accrual during parental leave. Workers compensation — this varies by state and by the terms of your award or agreement. In most jurisdictions, annual leave continues to accrue during a workers compensation absence because the worker is considered to be on leave and the employment relationship continues. However, check your specific state legislation and award provisions. Stand-down — if you are stood down under section 524 of the Fair Work Act (no useful work due to circumstances beyond the employer's control), annual leave continues to accrue because you remain employed. Unauthorised absence — annual leave does not accrue during unauthorised absences.
Maximum accumulation — can your employer force you to take leave?
Under the NES, there is no maximum cap on annual leave accumulation — your leave balance can grow indefinitely. However, when an employee has accumulated an excessive leave balance, the employer may direct the employee to take leave in certain circumstances. Under most modern awards, an excessive annual leave balance is defined as more than 8 weeks for standard employees or more than 10 weeks for shift workers. When an employee has an excessive balance, the employer can direct them to take leave, but the direction must be reasonable, it must not result in the employee's balance falling below 6 weeks, the employee must be given at least 8 weeks notice, and the leave must be taken at a time that is genuinely convenient for the employee (not during a period the employee objects to). The employee can also make a request to the employer to take annual leave, and the employer must not unreasonably refuse. If the employer consistently refuses leave requests and the balance becomes excessive as a result, the employer loses the right to direct the employee to reduce the balance. Some enterprise agreements have different provisions — including use-it-or-lose-it clauses (which are permissible if they pass the BOOT test) or automatic cashing out above certain thresholds. Check your specific agreement.
Cashing out annual leave — the rules and restrictions
Annual leave can be cashed out (paid to the employee without taking time off) only if specific conditions are met. Under the NES, cashing out of annual leave is only permitted if: the relevant modern award or enterprise agreement includes a provision allowing it (not all do), the employee has a remaining balance of at least 4 weeks after the cash-out, a separate written agreement is made for each occasion of cashing out, and the employee is paid at least the full amount they would have been paid had they taken the leave. Each cash-out can cover a maximum of 2 weeks of leave, and the employee must retain at least 4 weeks in their balance. The employer cannot direct an employee to cash out leave — it must be genuinely requested or agreed by the employee. For award-free employees, the same conditions apply under the NES regulations. Enterprise agreements may have different or additional conditions for cashing out. Some employers are reluctant to allow cashing out because it defeats the purpose of annual leave (rest and recovery) and creates a financial liability. However, for employees with large accumulated balances who need the income, cashing out can be beneficial — the payment is taxed as ordinary income at marginal rates. Consider whether taking the leave would be more beneficial for your health and wellbeing before opting to cash out.
Annual leave on termination — what gets paid out
When your employment ends — whether by resignation, dismissal, or redundancy — all accrued but untaken annual leave must be paid out in your final pay. This applies regardless of the reason for termination, even if you are dismissed for misconduct. The payout is calculated at your base rate of pay at the time of termination. If your award or enterprise agreement provides for annual leave loading (typically 17.5%), check whether the loading applies to leave paid out on termination — some awards include it, others do not. The tax treatment of annual leave paid out on termination depends on why you are leaving. If you resign or are dismissed (not genuine redundancy): the entire leave payout is taxed at your marginal rate, the same as regular salary. If you are made genuinely redundant: the leave payout is taxed at a maximum of 32% (including Medicare levy) — a concessional rate that may be lower than your marginal rate. Leave in excess of the amount that accrued during the current financial year may qualify for an even lower rate. Pro-rata leave is paid out — so even if you have only worked for two months since your last anniversary, the leave that accrued during those two months is included. Use our Leave Entitlements Calculator to check your accrued leave balance, and our Final Pay Calculator to see the total payout including leave, notice, and other entitlements.
Try these free tools
General information and estimates only — not legal, financial, or tax advice. Always verify with the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or a qualified professional.
Related articles
Full-time employees get 4 weeks (20 days) paid annual leave per year. Part-time is pro-rata. Free calculator shows your exact balance — plus leave loading & payout rules.
Long Service Leave by State: Complete Australian ComparisonLong service leave varies by state in Australia. Compare entitlements across NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT, and NT including eligibility and pro-rata access.
Leave Loading 17.5%: Is Your Employer Paying It? (Many Don't)Most awards require 17.5% leave loading on annual leave — that's an extra $600+ per year for average workers. Free calculator shows what you're owed. Many employers skip it.