The South Australian Government has today passed legislation to extend portable long service leave to the community services sector.
In the state, workers are entitled to 13 weeks of long service leave after they have completed 10 years of continuous service with the same employer.
However, in recent decades it has become more common for workers to move between different employers or be employed on a casual basis. This means those workers miss out on the opportunity to access long service leave and take a meaningful break during their working lives.
The community sector provides essential support to some of the most vulnerable people in South Australia, including through homelessness and family and domestic violence services.
Community sector workers are overwhelmingly women, and many never get the chance to take long service leave despite decades of service because of the need to move between different employers during their careers, said Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Kyam Maher.
“The portable long service leave scheme established by this Bill will reward the dedicated community service workers in our State with the sustained break that employees in other industries get through their long service leave entitlements,” said Mr Maher.
“The Bill also provides considerable benefits for the sector in the attraction and retention of skilled and experienced employees, which will be realised in reduced recruitment and training costs over time and a stronger, more resilient, workforce to support our community.”
Portable long service leave legislation will mean workers in the community services sector will have their long service leave entitlement is based on their period of service in the industry, rather than their service with one employer.
Portable long service leave has already been legislated for community services in Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory, and NSW.
The reforms are modelled on the successful construction industry portable long service leave scheme, which has provided portable long service leave to workers in the building and construction sector in South Australia for nearly 40 years.
“ASU members campaigned for this reform for over a decade, and we are thrilled to see this legislation finally progressing,” said ASU SA/NT State Secretary, Abbie Spencer.
“This is a game-changer for community and disability workers. Until now, most workers in the sector have never had an opportunity to access long service leave. They’re constantly moving around between employers due to short funding cycles.
“It’s common for us to hear from members who have worked in frontline services for 20+ years who have never taken a proper break from work. It’s one of the reasons why burn out is such a problem in the sector. Â
“The ASU sees this as a real win for the sector. It will benefit workers, clients and employers alike. For example, Portable Long Service Leave will help service providers attract and retain quality staff, at a time when organisations are finding it difficult to fill positions and keep up with demand.
“The ASU commends the Malinauskas Government for genuinely consulting with sector, and for making changes to the draft Bill to ensure the Portable Long Service Scheme is efficient and accessible for employers and workers alike,” she said.
