The National Employment Standards (NES) are 10 minimum employment entitlements that have to be provided to all employees. Together with the National Minimum Wage, the NES make up the minimum entitlements for employees in Australia.

An award, employment contract, enterprise agreement or other registered agreement can't provide for conditions that are less than the national minimum wage or the NES. They also can’t exclude the NES.

Different types of employees have different NES and leave entitlements. Click or tap on your type of employment to see specific information relevant to you.

You'll only get some of the NES entitlements, such as:

• 2 days unpaid carer's leave
• 2 days unpaid compassionate leave
• unpaid community service leave
• receiving the Fair Work Information Statement

In some states and territories long serving casuals are eligible for long service leave.

You are entitled to a higher hourly pay rate than equivalent full- or part-time employees. This is called a 'casual loading'. This is paid because you don't get benefits such as sick or annual leave

Your employment can be terminated without warning, unless if warning is required as part of any award, registered agreement or contract.

Where there is an expectation of ongoing work for you, and you've been employed regularly and systematically for at least 12 months, you have extra entitlements.

These are:

• the right to request for flexible working arrangements
• access to parental leave.

You are entitled to the same NES benefits as a full-time employee. However, it’s based proportionally on how long you’ll be working in a week. This is compared to the full 38 hours a full-time employee works.

Full-time employees benefit fully from the NES, with:

• 4 weeks paid annual leave
• 10 days paid personal carer's leave
• 12 months unpaid parental leave, with the option to request an additional 12 months
• 2 days paid compassionate leave for each permissible occassion
• 2 days unpaid carere's leave for each permissible occassion

These leave benefits are provided to you every year. However, annual and personal carer's leave can vary depending on how long you've worked for a business.