What is annual leave loading: AU Leave Loading Entitlement
The AU Leave Loading Entitlement carries 5 published figures read from 2 sources' own pages, from 2 to 8 week, read 7 November 2026.
5 of the 8 named sources read in full publish a figure; 3 publish none, read 7 November 2026.
By rule
| Breakdown | Median | Range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| rule award-loading-rate | 17.5 % | 17.5 to 17.5 % | 1 |
| rule shift-loading-comparison | 15 % | 15 to 15 % | 1 |
| rule national-minimum-wage | 26.44 AUD | 26.44 to 26.44 AUD | 1 |
| rule nes-annual-leave | 4 week | 4 to 4 week | 1 |
| rule shiftworker-annual-leave | 5 week | 5 to 5 week | 1 |
| rule ordinary-hours-week | 38 hour | 38 to 38 hour | 1 |
| rule excessive-leave-threshold | 8 week | 8 to 8 week | 1 |
| rule final-pay-deadline | 7 day | 7 to 7 day | 1 |
| rule cash-out-residual | 4 week | 4 to 4 week | 1 |
| rule cash-out-cap | 2 week | 2 to 2 week | 1 |
Every figure, with its source
One row per published figure: the figure as the source's own page publishes it, the page, and the day it was read. A figure that is not on a page we read is not on this one.
| Source | Figure | Breakdown | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Work Ombudsman: annual leave fact sheet | 38 hour | ordinary-hours-week | 2026-11-07 |
| Fair Work Ombudsman: minimum wages | 26.44 AUD | national-minimum-wage | 2026-11-07 |
| Fair Work Ombudsman: payment for annual leave | 17.5 % | award-loading-rate | 2026-10-12 |
| Fair Work Ombudsman: payment for annual leave | 15 % | shift-loading-comparison | 2026-10-12 |
| Fair Work Ombudsman: annual leave fact sheet | 8 week | excessive-leave-threshold | 2026-11-07 |
| Fair Work Ombudsman: final pay | 7 day | final-pay-deadline | 2026-11-07 |
| Fair Work Ombudsman: annual leave fact sheet | 5 week | shiftworker-annual-leave | 2026-11-07 |
| Fair Work Ombudsman: annual leave fact sheet | 4 week | nes-annual-leave | 2026-11-07 |
| Fair Work Ombudsman: cashing out annual leave | 4 week | cash-out-residual | 2026-11-07 |
| Fair Work Ombudsman: cashing out annual leave | 2 week | cash-out-cap | 2026-11-07 |
The sentence each figure was read from (10)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: annual leave fact sheet, read 2026-11-07:
Under the NES, annual leave is paid at the employee’s base pay rate for all ordinary hours worked. Ordinary hours under the NES can't exceed 38 hours in a week.
- Fair Work Ombudsman: minimum wages, read 2026-11-07:
As of 1 July 2026, the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 per hour or $1004.90 per week.
- Fair Work Ombudsman: payment for annual leave, read 2026-10-12:
While Alex is on annual leave, he will be paid his base pay rate plus a loading of 17.5%.
- Fair Work Ombudsman: payment for annual leave, read 2026-10-12:
This is because his base pay rate plus the 17.5% is higher than his base pay rate plus the 15% shift work loading.
- Fair Work Ombudsman: annual leave fact sheet, read 2026-11-07:
8 weeks of annual leave, or
- Fair Work Ombudsman: final pay, read 2026-11-07:
Most awards require employers to pay employees their final pay within 7 days after their last day of employment.
- Fair Work Ombudsman: annual leave fact sheet, read 2026-11-07:
An employee classified as a ‘shiftworker’ is entitled to 5 weeks of paid annual leave.
- Fair Work Ombudsman: annual leave fact sheet, read 2026-11-07:
An employee (other than a casual employee) accumulates 4 weeks of paid annual leave for each year of service with the employer.
- Fair Work Ombudsman: cashing out annual leave, read 2026-11-07:
at least 4 weeks annual leave left after the cash out, and
- Fair Work Ombudsman: cashing out annual leave, read 2026-11-07:
An employee can't cash out more than 2 weeks in any 12 month period.
Read in full, publishes no figure
3 named sources were read in full on the dates shown and print no usable figure. They are counted, never filled in.
- Fair Work Ombudsman: annual leave, read 2026-11-07: every candidate on the page was refused
- Fair Work Ombudsman: National Employment Standards, read 2026-11-06: every candidate on the page was refused
- Fair Work Act 2009, current compilation (Federal Register of Legislation), read 2026-11-07: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
Methodology
Every row is a verbatim sentence read from the named source's own page through our fetch service on the date shown, hash-pinned to the stored read (the sha of the page's visible text; the raw page is mirrored to R2).
5 of the 8 named sources that could be read published a usable figure; 3 published none and are recorded as not published, never filled in; 3 could not be read (blocked, dead or unreachable) and count nowhere.
The headline figures (median, minimum, maximum, quartiles) are over ONE figure per source for each breakdown it prices, in week (a source's median where its page yielded several accepted sentences for one breakdown), so a page that gives figures for several breakdowns gives one for each and N counts 5 figures, never sentences; 29 candidate sentence(s) were refused by a reviewer with the reason recorded.
The fuller derivation this dataset is chartered to grow into (not yet what the figures above are; they are each source's own published figure as read): one row per rule: the NES base rate of pay under s.90, the 17.5% award loading, the greater-of comparison against shift and weekend penalties, the treatment on termination and on cash-out, each quoted verbatim from the regulator's own page with the date it was read; the derivation nobody publishes is the RESULT for a named worker - the loading payable on a stated base, hours and pattern, with the rule that produced it cited line by line, and the changed-since when the 1 July rate year turns the base
29 candidate sentences on these pages were refused by a reviewer; each refusal and its reason is recorded in the review ledger.
Sources (11)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: payment for annual leave(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: annual leave(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: annual leave fact sheet(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: National Employment Standards(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: final pay(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: cashing out annual leave(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: minimum wages(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Fair Work Act 2009, current compilation (Federal Register of Legislation)(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Fair Work Ombudsman library: annual leave loading in awards and agreements [K600323](the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Fair Work Ombudsman library: leave loading on termination in the Security Award [K600714](the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- Fair Work Commission: NES Division 6 annual leave(the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
Cite or embed this figure
The AU Leave Loading Entitlement carries 5 published figures read from 2 sources' own pages, from 2 to 8 week, read 7 November 2026.
5 of the 8 named sources read in full publish a figure; 3 publish none, read 7 November 2026.
AU Leave Loading Entitlement, rule award-loading-rate: median 17.50 percent across 1 source, read 7 November 2026.
AU Leave Loading Entitlement, rule shift-loading-comparison: median 15 percent across 1 source, read 7 November 2026.
AU Leave Loading Entitlement, rule national-minimum-wage: median 26.44 AUD across 1 source, read 7 November 2026.
AU Leave Loading Entitlement, rule nes-annual-leave: median 4 week across 1 source, read 7 November 2026.
AU Leave Loading Entitlement, rule shiftworker-annual-leave: median 5 week across 1 source, read 7 November 2026.
AU Leave Loading Entitlement, rule ordinary-hours-week: median 38 hour across 1 source, read 7 November 2026.
AU Leave Loading Entitlement, rule excessive-leave-threshold: median 8 week across 1 source, read 7 November 2026.
AU Leave Loading Entitlement, rule final-pay-deadline: median 7 day across 1 source, read 7 November 2026.
AU Leave Loading Entitlement, rule cash-out-residual: median 4 week across 1 source, read 7 November 2026.
AU Leave Loading Entitlement, rule cash-out-cap: median 2 week across 1 source, read 7 November 2026.
Cite as: "leaveloadingcalculator.com AU Leave Loading Entitlement", updated 2026-11-08, https://leaveloadingcalculator.com/datasets/au-leave-loading-entitlement/.
Download the CSV (10 rows, computed 2026-11-08)
Not sure your award gives you loading?
Tell us your role and award. We will introduce you to up to three firms, each an Australian workplace relations adviser or payroll specialist who can read the clause with you.
Questions this data answers
Who is entitled to annual leave loading, at what rate, on what base pay, and when is it payable?
The AU Leave Loading Entitlement carries 5 published figures read from 2 sources' own pages, from 2 to 8 week, read 7 November 2026.
Where do the figures in the AU Leave Loading Entitlement come from?
Every figure is quoted from its source's own page and dated (last read 7 Nov 2026). 8 named sources were read and 5 publish a figure; the 3 that publish none are recorded as not published, never estimated.