Lift and Escalator Coverage

All employers of workers performing lift and escalator repair or maintenance work must comply with the portable long service leave scheme administered by LeavePlus from 1 July 2026. Criminal penalties apply for non-compliance.

By 15 September 2026, your business must be registered with LeavePlus so that you can meet the timeline for lodging your first return. Information on how to register your business is available on the LeavePlus website.

The first mandatory reporting period is 1 July 2026 – 30 September 2026, with returns due on 14 October 2026.

Employers will need to report days of service and gross wages (ordinary pay) for all workers performing lift and escalator repair or maintenance work. Additional information about calculating days of service and ordinary pay is available online.

If you are already registered and reporting to LeavePlus for other covered work (including lift and / or escalator installation work) and you use the same entity/ABN for lift and escalator repair and maintenance work, you do not need to register again. The same registration number can be used to log into the LeavePlus portal to report lift and escalator repair and maintenance work performed after 1 July 2026.

However, you must register any workers who perform lift and escalator repair or maintenance work before 15th September 2026. If you use a different entity/ABN for the lift and escalator repair and maintenance work, you will also need to register this entity as a new employer before 15th September 2026.

Report any service from 1 July 2026 in your 1 July 2026 – 30 September 2026 quarterly return.

Workers who have performed a mix of covered and non-covered work before 1 July 2026 will only have the covered portion recognised under the old rules. From 1 July 2026, repair and maintenance work becomes covered, meaning these workers will now build recognised service faster and reach eligibility sooner.

Example:
Chris works for LiftPro Services and his job includes both installation work and repair and maintenance work.
Before 1 July 2026, only the installation part of Chris’s job was recognised by LeavePlus. His repair and maintenance work did not count toward portable long service leave.

From 1 July 2026, this changes. All of Chris’s repair and maintenance work will now be recognised by LeavePlus, alongside his installation work.

This means that every day Chris works after 1 July 2026 now contributes to his long service leave record. Because he already has some recognised installation service, the addition of his repair and maintenance work helps him reach the leave eligibility threshold much sooner than before.

The rule change gives Chris a faster path to qualifying for a long service leave benefit.

LeavePlus will credit service for lift and escalator repair or maintenance work performed in Victoria on or after 1 July 2026.

This service will be added to any other construction industry service, helping workers qualify for long service leave sooner.

Once workers have seven years of recorded service with LeavePlus, they will be entitled to a long service leave benefit equivalent to 9.1 weeks at ordinary pay.

Only lift and escalator repair or maintenance work performed after 1 July 2026 will be recognised as service by LeavePlus.

If you have long term workers who reach seven years of continuous service with you before they become eligible to be paid a long service leave benefit from LeavePlus, they may be entitled to long service leave directly from you under the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic) or an enterprise agreement.

For any leave you pay directly that relates to post 1 July 2026 service — and for which you have paid charges — you may seek reimbursement from LeavePlus, pro-rated if accrual rates differ.

The portable long service leave scheme administered by LeavePlus is compulsory for employers and workers covered by the Act and Rules.

Contracting out is prohibited under section 13 of the Act, and penalties apply for employers who fail to register or submit quarterly returns.

It is important to ensure you understand your obligations from 1 July 2026.

The LeavePlus website includes detailed information about the scheme.

Employers may also wish to seek independent professional advice about how the changes apply to their business.