Annual Leave Rules in Australia

In Australia, most employees are entitled to four weeks (20 days) of paid annual leave per year, as stipulated under the National Employment Standards (NES) found in the Fair Work Act 2009. This entitlement applies to full-time and part-time employees, while casual employees generally do not receive paid annual leave. The leave accrues progressively throughout the year, and employees can take their leave at a time agreed upon with their employer. It is important to note that some awards or enterprise agreements may provide additional leave entitlements, so employees should check their specific agreements for any variations.

Employees have the right to request to take their annual leave at a time that suits them, but employers can refuse such requests on reasonable business grounds. If an employee does not take their accrued leave within a certain period, it may be subject to a "use-it-or-lose-it" policy, depending on the terms of their employment agreement. Additionally, employees are entitled to be paid their base rate of pay for the hours they would have worked during their leave. For more detailed information on annual leave entitlements in Australia, you can visit the Fair Work Ombudsman website at www.fairwork.gov.au.