Award and agreement entitlement
Annual leave loading calculator, checked against your award
Leave loading is not a universal right in Australia: it comes from an award or enterprise agreement, and 17.5% is the figure those instruments commonly use. On $35 an hour over a 38 hour week, four weeks of leave with a 17.5% loading pays $6,251, of which $931 is loading.
Email me this result
We will send you these figures and a link back to them. One email, nothing else unless you tick the box.
The basis
- Leave loading is not a universal statutory entitlement. The Fair Work Ombudsman states that annual leave loading is an additional amount paid to some employees when they take annual leave, that it does not apply to all employees, and that it depends on what their award or enterprise agreement says (Fair Work Ombudsman: payment for annual leave).
- The Fair Work Ombudsman's library article says the annual leave loading amount and what it is calculated on varies based on the individual award or agreement, and that the examples it gives are not a full list of every way loading is calculated (Fair Work Ombudsman library: annual leave loading in awards and agreements). That is why the percentage is a field rather than a fixed 17.5%.
- Many awards require a comparison rather than a flat payment. The library article's Retail Award example gives non-shiftworkers the higher of a 17.5% loading calculated on the employee's minimum hourly rate, or the weekend or shift penalty rates they normally get. The penalty field here models that comparison.
- Whether loading is calculated on an above-award rate or on the award minimum depends on the wording of the clause. The library article gives both patterns, so check yours before assuming the higher base.
- Annual leave itself is paid at the employee's current base pay rate for all hours of leave taken, which does not include overtime rates, penalties, allowances or bonuses (Fair Work Ombudsman). The loading sits on top of that base.
- Loading may not apply at all where it has been absorbed into an annualised wage arrangement permitted by the award or agreement, varied by an individual flexibility arrangement, or offset under a contractual arrangement. The library article covers all three.
- Superannuation generally applies. The ATO states that annual leave loading is included in ordinary time earnings unless it is clearly linked to lost overtime, and that excluding it needs written evidence such as the award, the agreement, or a documented policy stating the reason for the entitlement (ATO).
- Figures are gross. PAYG withholding on leave loading is a separate question and depends on how and when it is paid, so ask your payroll team rather than assuming a rate.
Leave Loading Calculator is an independent information site operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd. It is not affiliated with the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Fair Work Commission or the Australian Taxation Office, and nothing here is legal, workplace relations or tax advice. Your entitlement comes from your own award, enterprise agreement or contract, so read that instrument or take advice before relying on any figure.
Annual leave loading at 17.5%, four weeks of leave
Last updated
What a 17.5% loading is worth on four weeks of annual leave across a range of hourly rates, on a 38 hour ordinary week. The loading column is the extra payment; the total is what the leave period pays in full.
Computed with this page's own formulas: base weekly pay is the hourly rate times 38 ordinary hours, base pay is that times four weeks, loading is 17.5% of base pay, and no weekend or shift penalties are compared. Gross figures, before PAYG withholding. 17.5% is used because it is the figure the Fair Work Ombudsman's library article repeatedly cites from awards, not because it is a legal minimum.
| Hourly rate | Base weekly pay | Base pay, 4 weeks | Loading at 17.5% | Total leave pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $28.00 | $1,064 | $4,256 | $745 | $5,001 |
| $32.00 | $1,216 | $4,864 | $851 | $5,715 |
| $35.00 | $1,330 | $5,320 | $931 | $6,251 |
| $42.00 | $1,596 | $6,384 | $1,117 | $7,501 |
| $55.00 | $2,090 | $8,360 | $1,463 | $9,823 |
- A 17.5% annual leave loading adds $931 to four weeks of leave for someone on $35 an hour over a 38 hour week, taking the leave period from $5,320 to $6,251.
- The Fair Work Ombudsman states that annual leave loading does not apply to all employees and depends on what their award or enterprise agreement says, so the first question is entitlement, not arithmetic.
- Where an award pays the higher of the loading or the penalties an employee normally receives, a 20% weekend penalty beats a 17.5% loading: $1,064 rather than $931 on the same four weeks at $35 an hour.
Cite this page
“Annual leave loading at 17.5%, four weeks of leave”, Leave Loading Calculator, https://leaveloadingcalculator.com/ (updated 2026-08-15). Computed with this page's own formulas: base weekly pay is the hourly rate times 38 ordinary hours, base pay is that times four weeks, loading is 17.5% of base pay, and no weekend or shift penalties are compared. Gross figures, before PAYG withholding. 17.5% is used because it is the figure the Fair Work Ombudsman's library article repeatedly cites from awards, not because it is a legal minimum.
Not sure your award gives you loading?
Tell us your role and award and we will introduce you to an Australian workplace relations adviser or payroll specialist who can read the clause with you.
Worth knowing
The longer answers, with sources.
Is annual leave loading compulsory in Australia?
Leave loading is an award or enterprise agreement entitlement, not a National Employment Standards right. How to check whether you have it, and when it stops applying.
Is annual leave loading paid on termination in Australia?
When employment ends, unused annual leave is paid as if it had been taken, including loading. What the Fair Work Ombudsman says, and why a contract cannot override it.
Does annual leave loading attract superannuation?
The ATO's position: leave loading is included in super calculations unless it is clearly linked to lost overtime, and excluding it needs written evidence.
The questions we get
Is annual leave loading compulsory in Australia?
No. The Fair Work Ombudsman states that leave loading is paid to some employees, does not apply to all employees, and depends on what their award or enterprise agreement says. It is not a National Employment Standards entitlement.
How do you calculate 17.5% annual leave loading?
Take the base pay for the leave period, then add 17.5% of it. On $35 an hour over a 38 hour week, four weeks of leave is $5,320 of base pay and $931 of loading, giving $6,251 in total before tax.
Why does the calculator let me change the percentage?
Because the Fair Work Ombudsman says the loading amount and what it is calculated on vary between awards and agreements. 17.5% is common, not universal, so the field is yours to set from your own instrument.
Is leave loading paid on termination?
If you would have received it on leave taken during employment, yes. The Fair Work Ombudsman says unused annual leave must be paid at the same amount you would have received had you taken it, including loading, even if a contract says otherwise.
Does leave loading attract superannuation?
Generally yes. The ATO includes annual leave loading unless it is clearly linked to lost overtime, and excluding it requires written evidence such as the award, agreement or a documented policy.
What if my penalty rates are worth more than the loading?
Many awards pay the higher of the two. The Retail Award, for example, gives non-shiftworkers the higher of a 17.5% loading on the minimum hourly rate or the weekend or shift penalties they normally receive. Enter your penalties to run the comparison.
Sources
Taking leave, or being paid out?
Set your own loading percentage and see what the leave period is worth.
Use this on your own site
<script src="https://leaveloadingcalculator.com/embed.js" async></script>