| TasBuild provides long
service benefits to workers in the construction industry.
If portability did not exist, a worker
would need to work with the same employer for at least 10 years and not
have a break longer than 3 months unpaid.
In excess of 81% of workers that have
been paid a long service entitlement under the Tasmanian Long Service
Legislation had more than one employer during their qualifying period.
If not for TasBuild these workers would not have obtained a long service
entitlement.
How does portable long service work?
The basic principle underlying the legislation is that persons
employed in the construction industry are able to count broken service
with different employers in establishing an entitlement to long service
leave. It is clear that many workers were disadvantaged if they work on
separate projects and frequently move from employer to employer.
Benefits of the Scheme include:
- A worker may move from one
employer to another
With TasBuild it does not matter how many times you change
employment, as long as you remain in the construction industry. Any
period of more than 1 days duration is counted towards a long
service entitlement.
- Workers are allowed a longer
break between employment periods
Workers can be absent from the construction industry for a
period of up to 4 years without losing the service they have
accrued.
- A minimum of 7 years is required
to gain an entitlement
Pro-rata long service entitlements are provided in certain
circumstances on completion of 7 years of reckonable service.
Full entitlement to long service leave occurs on completion of 10
years reckonable service.
- Service is based on days worked
and not a calendar year
A workers service is based on the days worked not calendar years.
The days are accrued by adding together days worked for an employer.
Paid annual leave and sick leave are counted. 260 days equals a full
years service (48 weeks of 5 working days, including sick leave plus
4 weeks paid annual leave).
- Centralised worker service and
long service records
All records are kept on one centralised database. TasBuild
maintains these records and makes the payments directly to workers.
Individual employers do not bear the cost when the worker takes
leave. There are no administration fees for workers and TasBuild
offers a heavily subsidised contribution rate for employers by
carefully placing and monitoring investments and efficiently running
the scheme.
- Long service leave is portable
around Australia
From 1 July 1998 a worker can add periods of employment in the
construction industry in other states and territories together (go
to "Can Service Be Transferred Interstate?"
for further Information).
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