Leave and perks
Annual and sick leave
Annual and sick leave, and what shift work adds.
Leave builds from your first day and you can take it as soon as you have it. Your award or agreement can give more than the minimum, never less.
| Who | Annual leave | Sick and carer’s leave | Set by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everyone, full-time or part-time | 4 weeks a year | 10 days a year full-time, pro rata part-time | National Employment Standards |
| Casual | None | None paid; unpaid carer’s leave | National Employment Standards |
| Shiftworker with no award or agreement | 5 weeks, if rostered on 24/7 shifts, including Sundays and public holidays | 10 days | National Employment Standards |
| Nurses and midwives on the Nurses Award | 5 weeks; 6 weeks for a shiftworker rostered over all 7 days and working weekends | 10 days | Nurses Award 2020 |
| NSW public hospital nurses and midwives | 6 weeks if you work a 7-day roster; 4 weeks otherwise | Unpaid in your first 3 months, then paid and cumulative | NSW nurses’ award; NSW Health |
| Victorian public sector nurses and midwives | 190 hours a year, plus 38 hours for weekend workers | Victorian nurses’ agreement 2024-2028 | |
| Queensland public hospital nurses and midwives | 190 hours or 5 weeks; 6 weeks for shift work | 10 days, carried over | Queensland Health |
| Queensland Government employees | 20 working days, plus 17.5% loading | 10 working days, also for caring | Queensland Government |
| WA state system employees | 4 weeks of your ordinary hours, up to 152 hours; loading usually 17.5% | WA Government |
Everyone, casuals too, gets 2 days’ unpaid carer’s leave each time family needs care, 2 days’ compassionate leave and 10 days’ paid family and domestic violence leave. Unused leave carries over; more than 8 weeks, or 10 for a shiftworker, can be treated as excessive. Under the Nurses Award, leave loading is 17.5% of ordinary pay; a shiftworker gets the higher of that or the penalties they would have earned. Sources: business.gov.au; Fair Work Ombudsman; Fair Work Commission, Nurses Award 2020; Queensland Government; WA Government.
Long service leave
Long service leave when you move state or employer.
Long service leave is extra paid leave, about 3 months after 10 years. Each state sets its own rules. Whether your earlier service counts after a move depends on the new state and employer.
| State | Public health system | Does earlier public service count? |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 2 months after 10 years; pro rata from 7 | Yes: Commonwealth or another state’s public service, if NSW Health employment follows straight on |
| Victoria | 6 months after 15 years, usable from 7 (allied health agreement) | Victorian public health service only; interstate service is not confirmed |
| Queensland | 13 weeks after 10 years; pro rata from 7 | Yes, including public hospitals in other states, with a gap of up to 12 months |
| Western Australia | 13 weeks after 10 years; early pro rata from 7 (allied health agreement) | WA public sector service; interstate service is not confirmed |
| South Australia | 9 days a year, usable from 7 years: 90 days at 10 | Yes, if you join within 3 months of leaving other government employment |
| Tasmania | Due at 10 years; paid between 7 and 10 on some exits | Up to 65 days from other government employment, if you join within 3 months |
| ACT | 3 months for 10 years; pro rata from 7 | Yes, including other public health services, with a gap of up to 12 months |
| Northern Territory | 3 months after 10 years; paid on resignation from 7 | Some, as the Commissioner decides, after 2 years in the NT public sector |
Before you resign
Anyone moving state or employer
- Ask your new employer in writing whether it will recognise your service. Get a statement of service from your old one.
- Most states need the new job to follow within a set gap: 3 months in South Australia and Tasmania, 12 months in Queensland and the ACT.
- Leave paid out when you go is usually not carried over as service.
Source: each state’s public sector leave policy or legislation, checked 14 September 2026.
Portable schemes
Community, disability and aged care workers
In some sectors long service leave moves with you, not your employer. The ACT’s scheme covers aged care. The NSW (from 1 July 2025), Queensland, Victorian and South Australian community services schemes cover disability, community mental health and home care. Public hospitals are not in them.
Source: ACT Leave; Long Service Corporation NSW; QLeave; Portable Long Service Authority Victoria; SA Portable Long Service Leave.
What to know
Discounts
Discounts for health workers.
Some discount programs are only for health workers. Others come with union membership or your employer. The table shows who can join and what each costs, as each program publishes it.
| Program | Who can join | Cost | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Light Card | Paid staff of hospitals, medical, dental, pharmacy, pathology, imaging and allied health practices; aged care, disability and ambulance services | $9.95 for two years | Discounts at more than 750 brands |
| uPerks, from uPaged | Verified nurses and midwives, and student nurses | Free | Brand discounts and referral rewards |
| Union member programs | Members of the NSWNMA, ANMF Victorian Branch, HSU SA/NT, HSUWA and others | Your union fee | Retail discounts, beside the indemnity and CPD that come with membership |
| AMA member benefits | AMA members | Your AMA fee | Partner offers on travel, technology and finance, by state |
| Your health service | Public health staff, by district | Free | Salary packaging, an employee assistance program and, in some districts, Fitness Passport |
Programs change their offers often, so check each program’s own site. Source: Blue Light Card, uPaged, NSWNMA, ANMF Victorian Branch, HSU SA/NT, HSUWA, AMA, NSW Health and Queensland Health, September 2026.
What we don’t
- Recommend a discount program