<P> It remains one of the great entitlements for working Australians and one that is peculiar to the Australian labour market . The rules governing long service leave entitlements vary for different employees depending on their circumstances and the relevant jurisdiction . Currently, annual leave entitlements are covered by the state or territory law in which the employee is employed, excepting the state of Victoria, which ceded its Industrial Relations Legislation and related machinery to the Federal Government as an act of the Victorian State Parliament led by anti-union Premier Jeff Kennett in 1996 . </P> <P> The Institute of Actuaries of Australia estimated that the total value of long service leave benefits in Australia was around $16.5 bn in 2001 . </P> <P> There has been a debate in Australia about the protection of employee entitlements (including long service leave) in the event of employer insolvency, with some high - profile cases involving employees losing benefits that had been accrued . </P> <P> Nowadays, long service leave is ingrained in Australian culture and is specified by state based and some federal legislation . It is often not taken when it falls due, leading to calls to reduce long - service entitlement in the public sector . </P>

How does long service leave work in australia