Get ready for a portable leave scheme for the services industry
We’re setting up a portable long service leave scheme for the services industry.
If you’re an eligible employer in the services industry, you must register with us before the scheme starts.
If you’re employed and doing relevant work in the industry, your employer must register you.
Relevant work in the services industry
When the services industry scheme starts in 2025, eligible employers in these industries within the ACT must register both:
- their business
- employed workers who perform relevant work.
Cleaning services
The scheme covers existing and new contract cleaning services.
This includes all employers and workers currently covered under the Long Service Leave (Portable Schemes) ACT 2009 for the contract cleaning industry.
Hairdressing and beauty services
The scheme covers businesses classified under ANZSIC Division S Class 9511.
This includes services with workers who provide hairdressing (including barbers) or beauty services, for example:
- applying makeup
- facials
- non-medical skin care services
- non-medical or physiotherapy treatment massage
- hair removal
- tanning
Accommodation, food, beverage and hospitality services
The scheme covers businesses providing services classified under ANZSIC Division H.
This includes short-term accommodation for visitors, such as hotels, motels and camping ground operations, for example:
- caravan parks
- holiday houses and flats
- resorts
- serviced apartments
- ski-lodges
- student residences (except boarding schools)
- youth hostels.
It also includes food services – businesses providing meals, snacks or drinks for customers, for example:
- cafes and restaurants
- takeaways and mobile food vans
- catering services which provide food or drinks at a certain place or event
- pubs, taverns, bars and nightclubs
- clubs providing hospitality to members, such as gambling, sporting or other social and entertainment facilities.
Businesses not covered by ACT Leave
The scheme does not cover businesses which provide:
- tattooing and piercing services
- massage parlour operations under brothel services
- long-term property, including long-term caravans and cabins
- retail operators which buy, make or sell goods to the general public
- bakeries
- stores which sell liquor for drinking off premises
- casinos and other gambling institutions
- amusement and recreation parks
- theatre restaurants
- any club or facility covered under ANZSIC Divisions, such as Division R – Arts and Recreation Services.
Registering for portable long service leave in the services industry
Eligible employers doing relevant work must register under the services industry scheme to remain compliant with the legislation.
Before the scheme starts, we’ll start to contact eligible employers about their duty to register. We’ll also help with the process.
Employers already registered for ACT Leave for the contract cleaning industry will not need to re-register. They will automatically become part of the services industry scheme.
Paying the levy for portable long service leave in the services industry
The scheme is funded by a levy that is charged to all eligible employers, payable to ACT Leave each quarter.
The levy is estimated to be 1.07% of a worker’s ordinary wages. Ordinary wages is the amount that was
paid (or should have been paid) to the employee for their work, each quarter.
Ordinary wages does not include overtime, expenses or payment for the use of materials, equipment or a motor vehicle that an employee has been provided.
Amount of long service leave for workers in the services industry
Workers in the services industry will be able to take leave after 7 years of working with registered employers.
- Portable long service leave scheme for services
- Relevant work in the services industry
- Cleaning services
- Hairdressing and beauty services
- Accommodation, food, beverage and hospitality services
- Businesses that are not covered by ACT Leave
- Registering for portable long service leave
- Paying the levy
- Amount of leave
