Under Australia’s National Employment Standards (NES), which set minimum entitlements in the national workplace relations system, casual employees generally do not accrue paid annual or sick leave. They are entitled to paid family and domestic violence leave and, if eligible, unpaid carer’s, compassionate, parental and community service leave. State or territory law may also provide long service leave.
Casual pay includes a loading or a specific casual rate under the relevant award, registered agreement or employment contract. The rate reflects some entitlements available to permanent employees, but does not build up as paid holiday time.
Annual leave and sick leave
Casual employees do not accrue paid annual leave. Full-time and part-time employees generally accrue four weeks of paid annual leave each year, based on their ordinary hours. A casual can ask for time off for a holiday, but any unpaid time away needs the employer’s agreement. It is not paid annual leave.
Casual employees also do not receive paid sick leave under the NES. Paid personal leave, which covers an employee’s own illness or injury as well as caring responsibilities, is an entitlement for permanent employees.
The unpaid carer’s leave entitlement is separate. A casual can take up to two days of unpaid carer’s leave for each occasion when an immediate family or household member needs care or support because of illness, injury or an unexpected emergency. The leave can be taken continuously or, by agreement with the employer, in separate periods. This entitlement covers caring for someone else; it is not unpaid sick leave for the casual employee’s own illness.
Fair Work Ombudsman guidance explains that a casual’s pay may include a casual loading or a specific casual rate in place of some permanent-employee entitlements. The applicable rate depends on the award, agreement or contract. There is no universal loading percentage. The loading is a pay component, separate from any paid-leave balance.
Other leave rights
Casual employees are entitled to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave each year. The full entitlement is available from the start of employment, renews on each work anniversary and does not accumulate if unused. It applies when the employee is experiencing family and domestic violence. For a casual, pay is based on the full rate for the hours they were rostered to work during the leave period.
Casual employees can also take two days of unpaid compassionate leave each time they meet the criteria. This can cover specified pregnancy-loss circumstances. It can also cover the death of an immediate family or household member, or their life-threatening illness or injury. It is available as needed rather than accumulating as a leave balance.
Some casuals qualify for unpaid parental leave after 12 months with the employer. They must have worked on a regular and systematic basis and had a reasonable expectation of continuing in that pattern if the birth or adoption had not occurred. Eligible employees can take up to 12 months initially and may request a further period of up to 12 months, subject to the applicable rules. This employment leave is separate from any government parental payment.
Casuals can take unpaid community service leave for eligible activities, including jury duty and voluntary emergency management. Under the NES, casual employees are not paid by their employer for jury duty, though an award, agreement, contract or state or territory law may provide payment. Jury arrangements vary, so check the rules for the relevant state or territory.
Long service leave can apply to casual employees, but eligibility depends on the applicable state or territory law or industrial instrument. The rules differ across Australia, so check the relevant jurisdiction’s requirements.
Public holidays and casual status
A casual employee has the right to be absent on a public holiday and may refuse a request to work if the request or refusal is unreasonable under the applicable rules. Under the NES, casuals generally do not receive pay for a public holiday they do not work. If they work, the applicable award or agreement sets the relevant pay terms.
Regular shifts alone do not automatically change a person’s casual status. Eligible casual employees have a pathway to request a change to permanent employment under the employee-choice pathway. Fair Work Ombudsman guidance states that the pathway began on 26 February 2025 for eligible casuals employed by non-small businesses and on 26 August 2025 for eligible casuals employed by small businesses. A change does not happen automatically just because shifts are regular.
Check your entitlements
Check your award, registered agreement or employment contract to find the casual rate and any additional leave terms that apply to your job. Fair Work Ombudsman guidance sets out the NES minimums, but coverage and some entitlements depend on the employer, industry and jurisdiction. If you are unsure which rules cover you, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman or the relevant state or territory authority.
