{"id":3074,"date":"2026-04-22T22:52:03","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T10:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/auto-draft\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T23:03:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T11:03:41","slug":"annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Annual Leave Australia in 2026: Entitlements &amp; Accrual"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class='post-index' id='post-index'><a href='###' id='post-index-close'><i class='fa fa-list'><\/i><\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class='post-index-title'>Table of content<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class='post-index-inner' id='post-index-inner'>\r\n\t\t\t\t<ol class='post-index-list'><li class=\"post-index-item\" data-tt=\"title-idx-0\" ><a href=\"###\"title=\"Who gets annual leave in Australia?\">Who gets annual leave in Australia?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"post-index-item\" data-tt=\"title-idx-1\" ><a href=\"###\"title=\"How much annual leave are employees entitled to?\">How much annual leave are employees entitled to?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"post-index-item\" data-tt=\"title-idx-2\" ><a href=\"###\"title=\"How does annual leave accrue?\">How does annual leave accrue?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"post-index-item\" data-tt=\"title-idx-3\" ><a href=\"###\"title=\"What is leave loading?\">What is leave loading?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"post-index-item\" data-tt=\"title-idx-4\" ><a href=\"###\"title=\"How to calculate annual leave balance?\">How to calculate annual leave balance?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"post-index-item\" data-tt=\"title-idx-5\" ><a href=\"###\"title=\"What happens to annual leave when employees leave a job?\">What happens to annual leave when employees leave a job?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"post-index-item\" data-tt=\"title-idx-6\" ><a href=\"###\"title=\"Key Takeaways\">Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class=\"post-index-item\" data-tt=\"title-idx-7\" ><a href=\"###\"title=\"FAQs about Annual Leave Australia in 2026\">FAQs about Annual Leave Australia in 2026<\/a><\/li><li class=\"post-index-item\" data-tt=\"title-idx-8\" ><a href=\"###\"title=\"Read More\">Read More<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<script>\r\n\t\t\t$(function(){\r\n\t\t\t\tvar contIdxHeight = $('#post-index-inner').height()+20;\r\n\t\t\t\t$('#post-index-inner').css('height',contIdxHeight+'px');\r\n\t\t\t\t$('#post-index-close').on('click',function(){\r\n\t\t\t\t\tif($('#post-index-inner').height()>20) {\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t$('#post-index-inner').css('height',0);\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t$('#post-index-inner').css('padding-top',0);\r\n\t\t\t\t\t} else {\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t$('#post-index-inner').css('height',contIdxHeight+'px');\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t$('#post-index-inner').css('padding-top','20px');\r\n\t\t\t\t\t}\r\n\t\t\t\t});\r\n\t\t\t\t$('.post-index-item').on('click',function(){\r\n\t\t\t\t\tvar tt=$(this).data('tt');\r\n\t\t\t\t\tscrollPosition(document.getElementById(tt));\r\n\t\t\t\t});\r\n\t\t\t});\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/script><div class='post-content-full'><p>Every permanent employee in Australia is entitled to paid annual leave. But many workers and even some employers don&#8217;t know exactly how much leave they&#8217;ve accrued, or how to calculate it correctly.<\/p>\n<p>This guide covers your leave entitlements Australia under the National Employment Standards (NES), explains how accrual works, and shows you how to use an annual leave calculator to track your balance.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"title-idx-0\" class=\"icon-anchor\">Who gets annual leave in Australia?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>What:<\/strong> Paid annual leave is a minimum entitlement for all full-time and part-time employees under the Fair Work Act 2009.<br \/>\n<strong>Who:<\/strong> All permanent employees including full-time and part-time are entitled to annual leave. Casual employees do not accrue paid annual leave; instead, they receive a 25% casual loading in lieu.<br \/>\n<strong style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">When:<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"> Annual leave begins accruing from your <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">first day of employment,<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"> even during a probation period.<br \/>\n<\/span><strong>Where: <\/strong>These rules apply nationally under the NES, regardless of which state or territory you work in.<br \/>\n<strong>Why: <\/strong>The NES sets the legal floor for employment conditions in Australia, ensuring all workers have access to paid rest.<br \/>\n<strong>How:<\/strong> Leave accrues progressively throughout the year \u2014 you don&#8217;t have to wait until the end of the year to access it.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"title-idx-1\" class=\"icon-anchor\">How much annual leave are employees entitled to?<\/h2>\n<p>Under the NES:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Full-time employees:<\/strong> 4 weeks (20 days \/ 152 hours) per year<\/li>\n<li><strong>Part-time employees:<\/strong> Pro-rata based on contracted hours<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shiftworkers: <\/strong>Up to 5 weeks per year (award-dependent)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Unused annual leave rolls over from year to year. There is no expiry or &#8220;use it or lose it&#8221; rule under the NES \u2014 though some awards and enterprise agreements may allow employers to direct employees to take leave if a balance becomes excessive.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"title-idx-2\" class=\"icon-anchor\">How does annual leave accrue?<\/h2>\n<p>Annual leave accrues at a rate of <strong>2.923 hours per week<\/strong> for full-time employees working a standard 38-hour week.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Formula:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>152 hours \u00f7 52 weeks = <em><strong>2.923 hours per week<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>For part-time employees, the formula is:<\/p>\n<p>(Weekly contracted hours \u00f7 38) \u00d7 152 = Annual entitlement in hours<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Example:<\/strong><\/em> An employee working 25 hours per week accrues (25 \u00f7 38) \u00d7 152 = <strong>100 hours per year<\/strong>, or approximately 2.63 hours per week.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"title-idx-3\" class=\"icon-anchor\">What is leave loading?<\/h2>\n<p>Many award-covered employees are entitled to <strong>17.5% leave loading<\/strong> which is an additional payment on top of their base rate when they take annual leave. Not all employees receive this; it depends on your award or enterprise agreement.<\/p>\n<p>Check your Modern Award or EA to confirm whether you&#8217;re entitled to leave loading.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"title-idx-4\" class=\"icon-anchor\">How to calculate annual leave balance?<\/h2>\n<p>Use this step-by-step approach or an online annual leave calculator:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Find your opening balance <\/strong>\u2014 check your most recent payslip.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Calculate new accrual<\/strong> \u2014 multiply weeks worked since your last payslip by your weekly accrual rate (2.923 hrs for full-time).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Subtract leave taken<\/strong> \u2014 deduct any annual leave used during the period.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The Fair Work Ombudsman&#8217;s <em><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/calculate.fairwork.gov.au\/Leave\">PACT leave calculator<\/a> <\/span><\/em>provides an official, free tool for employees and employers or use our<span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"> <a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/australian-annual-leave-calculator\/\"><em><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">free annual leave calculator<\/span><\/em><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"title-idx-5\" class=\"icon-anchor\">What happens to annual leave when employees leave a job?<\/h2>\n<p>All unused annual leave must be <strong>paid out on termination<\/strong> at your ordinary hourly rate (plus leave loading if applicable under your award). This applies regardless of whether you resign, are made redundant, or are dismissed.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"title-idx-6\" class=\"icon-anchor\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Full-time employees accrue 4 weeks (152 hours) of paid annual leave per year under the NES.<\/li>\n<li>Accrual starts from day one of employment, including during probation.<\/li>\n<li>The accrual rate is 2.923 hours per week for full-time staff; pro-rata for part-time.<\/li>\n<li>Casual employees are not entitled to annual leave but receive a 25% loading instead.<\/li>\n<li>Always use the official PACT tool or an up-to-date annual leave calculator for accuracy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Source: <span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fairwork.gov.au\/employment-conditions\/national-employment-standards\">National Employment Standards, Fair Work Act 2009\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"title-idx-7\" class=\"icon-anchor\">FAQs about Annual Leave Australia in 2026<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q1: How much annual leave do employees accrue per week in Australia?<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A1: Full-time employees working a standard 38-hour week accrue <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">2.923 hours of annual leave per week<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"> under the National Employment Standards. This equals 152 hours (4 weeks) over a full year. Part-time employees accrue on a pro-rata basis: divide contracted weekly hours by 38, then multiply by 152 to find the annual entitlement. For example, an employee working 20 hours per week accrues 80 hours (approximately 2 weeks) of annual leave per year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2: Does annual leave accrue during sick leave or unpaid leave?<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A2: Annual leave continues to accrue during <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">paid personal\/carer&#8217;s leave (sick leave)<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"> and <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">paid parental leave funded by the employer<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">. However, leave generally does <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">not<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"> accrue during periods of <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">unpaid leave<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">, including unpaid parental leave and any unpaid absence, unless your award or enterprise agreement specifically states otherwise. If employees are being paid under the government&#8217;s Paid Parental Leave Scheme while on unpaid leave, annual leave does not accrue during that period.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3: Can employers force employees to take annual leave in Australia?<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A3: Yes, in limited circumstances. Under the <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Fair Work Act 2009<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">, an employer can direct an employee to take annual leave if the employee has an <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">excessive leave balance<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"> (generally defined in the applicable Modern Award as more than 8 weeks) or during a <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">genuine business shutdown period<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">, such as Christmas. The employer must give the employee reasonable notice usually at least 4 weeks and the direction must comply with the applicable award or enterprise agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4: What happens to unused annual leave when an employee resigns?<\/strong><br \/>\nA4: All accrued but untaken annual leave must be paid out in full on termination, regardless of whether you resign, are dismissed, or are made redundant. The payout is calculated at the ordinary rate of pay at the time of termination, plus any applicable leave loading (17.5% for award-covered employees where the award provides for it). This payout is a legal entitlement under the NES and employers cannot withhold it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5: Can employees cash out annual leave without taking time off?<\/strong><br \/>\nA5: Yes, but only under specific conditions. Under the NES, an employee can cash out annual leave if their Modern Award or enterprise agreement permits it, they have a genuine written agreement with their employer to do so, they retain a minimum balance of 4 weeks of accrued leave after the cash-out, and they are paid the full monetary value of the leave cashed out, including any applicable leave loading. Employers cannot pressure or require an employee to cash out annual leave.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"title-idx-8\" class=\"icon-anchor\">Read More<\/h2>\n<h3>HR Tools &amp; Calculators<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><em><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/australian-annual-leave-calculator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Australian Annual Leave Calculator<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Annual Leave Overview<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><em><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-sick-leave-pay-calculations\/\"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Annual Leave &amp; Sick Leave Pay Calculations<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><em><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Unlocking Annual Leave: The Ultimate Guide<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<header class=\"entry-header\">\n<p class=\"page-title\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><em><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/how-employers-cash-out-annual-leave\/\">How Employers Cash Out Annual Leave?<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/header>\n<h3 id=\"title-idx-9\" class=\"icon-anchor\">Leave Entitlements Guide<\/h3>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/glossary\/annual-leave-loading\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Annual Leave Loading<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/glossary\/sick-and-carers-leave\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sick and Carer\u2019s Leave<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"title-idx-10\" class=\"icon-anchor\">HR Insights &amp; Resources<\/h3>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/leave-management-software-vs-excel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Leave Management Software vs. Excel: Which is More Effective?<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/leave-management-software-goodbye-excel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Discover the Benefits of Leave Management Software: Say Goodbye to Excel!<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/how-to-calculate-leave-entitlements-casual-employees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Calculate Leave Entitlements for Casual Workers?<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of content Who gets annual leave in Australia?How much annual leave are employees entitled to?How does annual leave accrue?What is leave loading?How to calculate annual leave balance?What happens to annual leave when employees leave a job?Key TakeawaysFAQs about Annual Leave Australia in 2026Read More Every permanent employee in Australia is entitled to paid annual&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":3108,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[45,42],"class_list":["post-3074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-leave","tag-popular"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Annual Leave Australia in 2026: Entitlements &amp; Accrual - Workstem Australia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how annual leave accrues in Australia, what you&#039;re entitled to under the NES, and use an annual leave calculator to track your balance.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Annual Leave Australia in 2026: Entitlements &amp; Accrual - Workstem Australia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how annual leave accrues in Australia, what you&#039;re entitled to under the NES, and use an annual leave calculator to track your balance.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Workstem Australia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-22T10:52:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-01T11:03:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/annual_leave_australia_cover_2026.avif\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1050\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"490\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brandon\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brandon\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/blog\\\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/blog\\\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Brandon\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5a64ac285d53290c84d0a3a52429d56e\"},\"headline\":\"Annual Leave Australia in 2026: Entitlements &amp; Accrual\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-22T10:52:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-01T11:03:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/blog\\\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1087,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/blog\\\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/annual_leave_australia_cover_2026.avif\",\"keywords\":[\"Leave\",\"Popular\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/blog\\\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/blog\\\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/blog\\\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\\\/\",\"name\":\"Annual Leave Australia in 2026: Entitlements &amp; Accrual - Workstem Australia\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/blog\\\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/blog\\\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/annual_leave_australia_cover_2026.avif\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-22T10:52:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-01T11:03:41+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5a64ac285d53290c84d0a3a52429d56e\"},\"description\":\"Learn how annual leave accrues in Australia, what you're entitled to under the NES, and use an annual leave calculator to track your balance.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/blog\\\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/blog\\\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/blog\\\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/annual_leave_australia_cover_2026.avif\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/annual_leave_australia_cover_2026.avif\",\"width\":1050,\"height\":490,\"caption\":\"Annual leave entitlements and accrual guide for Australia 2026 \u2013 4 weeks NES minimum, accrual rate 2.923 hrs\\\/week, leave loading explained \u2013 Workstem Australia\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/blog\\\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Annual Leave Australia in 2026: Entitlements &amp; Accrual\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/\",\"name\":\"Workstem Australia\",\"description\":\"Human Resources Management HRM System Australia\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.workstem.com\\\/au\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5a64ac285d53290c84d0a3a52429d56e\",\"name\":\"Brandon\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Annual Leave Australia in 2026: Entitlements &amp; Accrual - Workstem Australia","description":"Learn how annual leave accrues in Australia, what you're entitled to under the NES, and use an annual leave calculator to track your balance.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Annual Leave Australia in 2026: Entitlements &amp; Accrual - Workstem Australia","og_description":"Learn how annual leave accrues in Australia, what you're entitled to under the NES, and use an annual leave calculator to track your balance.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/","og_site_name":"Workstem Australia","article_published_time":"2026-04-22T10:52:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-07-01T11:03:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1050,"height":490,"url":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/annual_leave_australia_cover_2026.avif","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Brandon","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Brandon","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/"},"author":{"name":"Brandon","@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/#\/schema\/person\/5a64ac285d53290c84d0a3a52429d56e"},"headline":"Annual Leave Australia in 2026: Entitlements &amp; Accrual","datePublished":"2026-04-22T10:52:03+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-01T11:03:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/"},"wordCount":1087,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/annual_leave_australia_cover_2026.avif","keywords":["Leave","Popular"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/","url":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/","name":"Annual Leave Australia in 2026: Entitlements &amp; Accrual - Workstem Australia","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/annual_leave_australia_cover_2026.avif","datePublished":"2026-04-22T10:52:03+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-01T11:03:41+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/#\/schema\/person\/5a64ac285d53290c84d0a3a52429d56e"},"description":"Learn how annual leave accrues in Australia, what you're entitled to under the NES, and use an annual leave calculator to track your balance.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/annual_leave_australia_cover_2026.avif","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/04\/annual_leave_australia_cover_2026.avif","width":1050,"height":490,"caption":"Annual leave entitlements and accrual guide for Australia 2026 \u2013 4 weeks NES minimum, accrual rate 2.923 hrs\/week, leave loading explained \u2013 Workstem Australia"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/blog\/annual-leave-calculator-australia-entitlements-accrual-2026-guide\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Annual Leave Australia in 2026: Entitlements &amp; Accrual"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/","name":"Workstem Australia","description":"Human Resources Management HRM System Australia","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/#\/schema\/person\/5a64ac285d53290c84d0a3a52429d56e","name":"Brandon"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3074","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3074"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3074\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3110,"href":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3074\/revisions\/3110"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3074"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3074"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.workstem.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3074"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}