Under SA & NT law, employers are required to set aside funds for employees to take leave after a long period of working for the same employer.
The general principle under both SA & NT is that once an employee reaches 10 years of continuous service they are entitled to 13 week of leave on full pay. Continuous service is defined as “service with the same employer or with related employers under a contract of service or a series of contracts of service”.
Usually, once an employee (pastor) leaves an employer (church) their long service leave balance returns to zero when they start working for a new employer. However, BCSANT recognises that pastoral staff will usually have similar roles across a number of churches over their working life.
The establishment of a centralised fund for the accumulation of Long Service Leave entitlements was for the purpose of providing a mechanism for continuity of service for Baptist pastors as they move from church to church.
Participation in the BCSANT Ministers Long Service Leave Fund is voluntary. However, if a church chooses not to participate then they need to ensure funds are calculated and accrued appropriately.
Each year, churches are asked for staff information so that the church can contribute funds to the pastor’s long service leave entitlement. The information and levy is applied retrospectively – i.e. for the year from 1st July to 30th June.
Use the Resources Link below to access all the required documentation.
Link To Minister’s Long Service Leave Resources
The following documents are available via the link above:
- Ministers’ LSL Fund Policy
- Ministers’ LSL Info Sheet
- Ministers’ LSL Employment Details & Levy Form
- A spreadsheet to assist you with calculations (if needed)