The commencement of the new portable long service leave scheme for South Australia's community services sector marks a significant win for workers and the delivery of a key Government election commitment.
Nearly 12 months after legislation to create the new scheme passed Parliament, the scheme officially launches from today.
In South Australia, workers are entitled to 13 weeks of long service leave after they have completed 10 years of continuous service with the same employer.
The new portable long leave scheme means that if a worker moves between different employers in the community services sector, their period of service will continue to be recognised, and they will be able to access long service leave after 10 years of service across the sector as a whole.
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.
The new scheme will create an incentive for workers to retain their skills in the sector, reduce staff turnover, improving worker satisfaction, and minimise the cost to business of recruiting and training replacement staff.
Since the passage of legislation by Parliament in October last year, the Board responsible for administering the new scheme has focussed on building awareness, supporting employers to be ready for the commencement of the scheme, and providing clear information.
The Board's outreach has included direct engagement with industry associations as well as hundreds of employers representing tens of thousands of workers. The Board has produced a wide range of material including toolkits, instructional videos, FAQ's, and has run regular webinars and regional visits to employers.
South Australia modelled these reforms on the successful construction industry portable long service leave scheme that has been in place for decades.
Portable long service leave for community services is already operating in the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales.
For further information, visit https://saplsl-community.org.au/
As put by Kyam Maher
Community service sector workers take care of some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Overwhelmingly, these workers are women and many have never had the change to take long service. From today, that changes.
The Government took this commitment to both the 2018 and 2022 election, and we are pleased to see that these workers will now have access to long service leave when they are entitled to it.
As put by ASU SA + NT State Secretary Abbie Spencer
ASU members campaigned for Portable Long Service Leave for nearly a decade.
It has been the typical experience of ASU members to work in the sector for decades without ever accessing Long Service Leave.
This is the biggest workplace win in our sector since Equal Pay and it will keep workers in the jobs they love, delivering for our community.
We are proud to have delivered this life-changing reform for disability and community service workers.
As put by SA Portable Long Service Leave – Community Sector Chief Executive Anthony Mackay
From today, many workers who have spent years in the industry, often changing employers because of contracts or funding cycles, will now be able to access long service leave when they're entitled to it.
This sector supports some of the most vulnerable people in our community – including children, people living with a disability or disabilities, the elderly and those experiencing hardship or crisis.
The State Government has recognised that the workforce is highly mobile, with many workers moving between organisations because of contracts and funding cycles. Portable Long Service Leave recognises that even if a worker changes employers, their service still matters.
