FOR EMPLOYERS IN THE VICTORIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

CEO Welcome

Craig Bell

Chief executive officer , LeavePlus

Transformative Moments and Key Milestones

Transformation is the central theme at LeavePlus in 2025. We’re undertaking a major program of change to modernise our systems, enhance service delivery, and improve the experience of our workers and employers. Now that we’ve reached the halfway point of the year, our Business Transformation Project is gaining momentum. Over the next six months, we’ll deliver a range of benefits to members through new product releases and service upgrades. From expanding access to the updated claim form for workers to developing a new returns form for employers, FY2026 will deliver greater value to our members.

Meanwhile, our investment performance continues to exceed expectations. The Fund delivered a 6.1% year-to-date return at the end of the March quarter. With $2.26 billion in funds under management and a funding ratio of 126.3%, members can feel confident in the strength of our investment strategy, which continues to grow the Fund on their behalf. You can read more about these and other key milestones from LeavePlus in the feature article below.

As we finalise the results for FY2025 over the coming weeks, we look forward to sharing the full outcomes in our Annual Report later this year.

Our teams have recently been out on the road, visiting sites across Melbourne’s Big Build projects and volunteering with Habitat For Humanity to give back to the community. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Providing opportunities for them to connect with members and contribute to meaningful projects is a key part of how we empower our team. We’re proud to see them living our values every day.

Earlier this year, we opened our new Members Centre. We’re now completing the final stages of our Office Transformation, with teams returning to refreshed workspaces across 478 Albert Street. The contemporary new environment brings FutureSpace’s architectural vision to life and supports our mission as Victoria’s portable entitlement scheme for the construction industry.

Craig Bell
Chief Executive Officer

QUARTERLY RETURNS DUE 14 JULY

The April to June 2025 quarterly return is now available for employers to complete on the LeavePlus Portal.

The due date for submission is 14 July 2024.

As the industry regulator and administrator of the Construction Industry Long Service Leave Scheme, LeavePlus applies strict legal and financial consequences for employers who fail to comply with their registration, reporting, and payment obligations under the Scheme.

If you require assistance or are unable to submit your return before the due date, please call our Member Services team on 03 9664 7677 or 1300 264 683.

All employers should familiarise themselves with the requirements as an employer under the Act and the Scheme Rules and the consequences of non-compliance.

LEAVEPLUS KEY MILESTONES

FINANCE & INVESTMENT UPDATE

Funding ratio (assets to liabilities) as at 31 March 2025

Year-To-Date return to the Fund (1 July 2024 to 31 March 2025)

Funds under management as at 31 March 2025

$ B

Asset Classes

Portfolio structure comprises 80% growth assets and 20% defensive assets

Alternatives 9.85%

The best performing asset of the July 2024 to March 2025 period was Alternatives, with a return of 9.85%

$186M

Paid to members in long service leave benefit claims in the July 2024 to March 2025 period

$231M

Contributed to the Fund in in Long Service Leave Charges in the period July 2024 to March 2025

The Fund holds an investment in the Palisade Impact Fund, an Australian-based infrastructure manager focused on targeting solutions to environmental and social challenges.

In late 2024, Palisade Impact Fund acquired Energy Locals, a forward-thinking energy retailer operating along Australia’s East Coast.

Energy Locals delivers greener, more affordable energy solutions to Australian households. The acquisition has delivered promising early results, with a gross return of 5.7% as at 31 March 2025.

MEMBER SERVICES UPDATE

About 70,000 of our 280,000 worker members can claim a long service leave benefit from LeavePlus. We notice three busy times each year—July, when the new financial year begins; December, as people prepare for the Christmas break; and Easter, as the holiday season approaches..

Throughout these peak periods, our service to our members continues to be driven by our core value ‘Here For Members’, striving to put members at the centre of everything we do.

19,583 LSL benefits paid

Through our peak periods, we saw a huge uptake in applications to claim a long service leave benefit.

$186M paid in benefits

The July 2024 to March 2025 period saw a record amount of long service leave benefit payments, averaging more than $20M per month.

65,843 calls taken

The July 2024 to March 2025 period saw a high volume of phone calls handled by our member response team, with an average of over 7,300 per month.

LEGAL & COMPLIANCE UPDATE

The Legal & Compliance department plays a key role at LeavePlus. It ensures that all LeavePlus members comply with the Act and the rules of the scheme. The department registers employers with the scheme and informs them of their obligations. Our teams work to ensure that employers submit returns information and pay long service leave charges on time.

Our in-house legal team prosecutes non-compliant employers. LeavePlus regularly obtains and enforces court orders. These orders can impose fines and criminal convictions. They also enforce deadlines for providing outstanding returns information.

The Legal & Compliance department has seen great success with recovering contributions, registering employers, and resolving service investigation cases. Several key milestones were achieved in the July 2024 to March 2025 period:

$2.8M Unpaid & Late Contributions recovered

5,083 employers were directly contacted by our Employer Obligations team. This activity resulted in total payments of $2,793,597 to LeavePlus in long service leave charges.

2,228 employers registered

The Registrations team initiated several new campaigns targeting employers who have recently entered the industry, aiming to raise awareness of their scheme obligations and promote compliance.

2,890 cases resolved

The Service Investigations team successfully resolved a milestone number of cases involving members with missing service records from non-compliant employers in Victoria.

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION UPDATE

At LeavePlus we are working hard to ensure that all our members have timely access to their long service leave. We want them to receive the best and most efficient service from us.

Their feedback helps us to roadmap the next stage of our transformation project. The next six months are set to deliver benefits via several product releases and platform improvements:

+ NEW CLAIM FORM: EXPANDED RELEASE

In April we launched our new claim form, allowing Workers to opt-in to using it. We’ve been making improvements to the form and adding on new functionality behind the scenes. After the initial success of the new claim form, we will soon be extending access out to even more member types.

+ NEW RETURNS FUNCTIONS

The next stage of the project is now focusing on the quarterly Returns function. This will ensure that employer members will also see new technological and process improvements. We will be developing a new ‘backdated returns’ function as we roll out our new ‘quarterly returns’ form. This will help employers to properly record their workers’ service in real time. It will also help to more easily recover any missing periods for their workers.

+ ID VERIFICATION TECHNOLOGY

We’re also excited to integrate new technology for improved identity verification. This new technology will further enhance the security of our members’ entitlements. It will also provide a more seamless experience when logging in to our systems or contacting us.

At LeavePlus we are working hard to ensure that all our members have timely access to their long service leave and receive the best and most efficient service from us.

Feedback from our members has helped us to develop and roadmap the next exciting stage of our transformation project. The next six months are set to deliver benefits to our members via several product releases and platform improvements:

+ NEW CLAIM FORM: EXPANDED RELEASE

+ NEW RETURNS FUNCTIONS

Similarly, the next stage of the project is now focusing on the quarterly Returns function to ensure that our Employer members can also benefit from both new technological and process improvements. We will simultaneously be developing a new Backdated Returns function as we roll out our new Quarterly Returns form. This will allow a more comprehensive way for Employers to ensure that all the relevant Service of their Workers is recorded with LeavePlus, regardless of when they joined the Scheme.

+ ID VERIFICATION TECHNOLOGY

We’re also very excited to be preparing new technology for more efficient and accurate identity verification, further enhancing the security of our members’ entitlements. Improving how we verify our members’ identity will help to better protect members’ information and allow for a more seamless experience when logging in to our systems or contacting us.

METRO TUNNEL VISIT

PUBLIC TRANSPORT UPGRADES

LeavePlus recently visited some of Melbourne’s new train stations built as part of the Metro Tunnel Project. This major transport upgrade has been quietly built under the city for almost eight years and is expected to open in 2025 – one year earlier than planned.

The Metro Tunnel is the biggest change to Melbourne’s train network since the City Loop opened in 1981. It connects the Sunbury line in the north-west with the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines in the south-east, creating a single 97-kilometre train line.

Five new stations have been built: Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall, and Anzac.

Parkville was one of the first stations finished. All five stations follow similar design rules to help people move easily to and from platforms. But each station also has its own look and feel.

+ MODERN PLATFORM FEATURES

Parkville station has long platforms—280 metres—and includes platform screen doors. These doors are new to Victoria and are used in large cities like Singapore and London, to improve commuter safety.

+ SMART DESIGN

The stations use clever design to help people find their way without needing signs. On the ceilings, there are coloured baffles to guide commuters. One side is pink and the other is white. If you see pink, you’re heading out of the station. If you see white, you’re heading in.

+ ART AND COLOUR

Each station has its own colours and artwork. At Parkville, there’s a large artwork called Vernal Glade by Patricia Piccinini. It’s made of colourful ceramic tiles, handcrafted in Japan. The colours are inspired by nature and the Australian bush, and are meant to make people feel calm, hopeful, and warm.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT UPGRADES

Five new stations have been built: Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall, and Anzac.

Parkville was one of the first stations finished. All five stations follow similar design rules to help people move easily to and from platforms. But each station also has its own look and feel.

+ MODERN PLATFORM FEATURES

+ SMART DESIGN

+ ART AND COLOUR

OFFICE TRANSFORMATION COMPLETED

UPPER OFFICE LEVELS

In our last update for employer members, we took you on a guided video tour of our brand-new Member Centre. Since then, we have also seen the opening of the upper office levels, completing our renovation transformation.

Three of the seven floors of the building at 478 Albert Street were taken back to base. This provided a blank canvas and an opportunity for SHAPE builders to create new working spaces. We recently held an Office Opening Event for industry and business stakeholders. The event was a great success, with some fantastic feedback received from our industry peers.

Each space has been designed to create compelling experiences that foster collaboration and community. The carefully designed features have helped to achieve these objectives and provide a workplace that brings people together.

+ CONNECTED TEAMS

A key component of the project was to install an internal staircase between three floors. The intention was to connect our teams together like never before. The staircase encourages a culture of active collaboration between teams and helps us to thrive together.

+ MULTI-USE SPACES

Several new spaces were designed to allow for various uses. There is a large breakout area and kitchen that serves as the communal lunch space. The space also includes video conferencing facilities and presenting equipment, capable of accommodating all-staff meetings and company-wide functions. There are also lounge areas across all floors. These can double as team meeting spaces in a relaxed and welcoming setting.

+ HYRBID WORKING FACILITIES

Modern working spaces must accommodate a diverse range of workstations. This now includes social spaces and video-conference capabilities. Installing new technology into these spaces to allows for more efficient working. To become the best operator of a portable entitlement scheme, adopting new technology is essential.

UPPER OFFICE LEVELS

+ CONNECTED TEAMS

A key component of the project was to install an internal staircase between three floors to connect our teams together. This encourages staff to interact more frequently and actively between different floors, departments, and teams. The staircase links us together like never before and reinforces our culture of collaboration and thriving together.

+ MULTI-USE SPACES

Several new spaces have been designed to allow for various uses. There is a large breakout area and kitchen that serves as the communal lunch space. The space also includes video conferencing facilities and presenting equipment so that the space can accommodate all-staff meetings and company-wide functions. Across all floors there are also lounge areas which can double as team meeting spaces in a relaxed and welcoming setting.

+ HYBRID WORKING FACILITIES

In today’s hybrid office environment, working spaces must accommodate a diverse range of workstations, social spaces, and video-conference capabilities to meet the needs of the modern workplace. Incorporating the newest technology into these spaces to allow for efficient working is key to our vision of becoming the best operator of a portable entitlement scheme.

LEAVEPLUS VOLUNTEER WORK

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

What does it look like when our people support each other—at work and beyond? It looks like this: two days, two locations, and countless helping hands making real improvements for local families and community spaces.

LeavePlus has proudly supported the vital work of Habitat for Humanity for many years. With every new volunteering opportunity, our pride in our people grows as they continue to live our values.

Day One
Volunteers painted a front fence, levelled an uneven backyard, and installed a swing set for a local family—making the space safer and more enjoyable.

Day Two
At Benwerren Women’s Retreat, the team created a walking path in the garden, cleared a fire break along the fence line, and pulled up carpets in a granny flat to prepare for new tenants.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

LeavePlus has proudly supported the vital work of Habitat for Humanity for many years. With every new volunteering opportunity, our pride in our people grows as they continue to live our values.

Day One
Volunteers painted a front fence, levelled an uneven backyard, and installed a swing set for a local family—making the space safer and more enjoyable.