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.

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

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.

See how the rule change applies to these examples.

Example 1: Worker with 7+ years’ service who stays with their employer

Situation: Jason does lift and escalator maintenance work for Lift Co in the service department. As of 1 July 2026, he’s been there for more than 7 years.

What this means for Jason
Jason is already entitled to long service leave from Lift Co under the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic). After 1 July 2026, Jason can accrue service under the portable long service leave scheme administered by LeavePlus. Once he has accrued 7 years of continuous service, he can apply for long service leave from LeavePlus directly.

What this means for Lift Co
Lift Co is obligated to pay out long service leave to Jason, as stated in the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic). From 1 July 2026, Lift Co will report quarterly returns and pay long service leave charges to LeavePlus for Jason.

Key point: Jason’s work falls under both Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic) and Construction Industry Long Service Leave Act 1997 (Vic) after 1 July 2026.

Example 2: Worker with 7+ years’ service — leaves their employer

Situation: Bronny has worked for Energy Ease in the service department doing lift and escalator maintenance work for 8 years as of 1 July 2026. She leaves Energy Ease on 2 July 2026 and is paid out her long service leave entitlement by the company. Bronny starts a new role at ACME Lifts on 3 July 2026.

What this means for Bronny
Bronny will not be eligible for long service leave under the portable long service leave scheme until she reaches 7 years of continuous service in the construction industry.

What this means for Energy Ease
Energy Ease is required to pay out Bronny’s long service leave entitlement in the construction industry as per the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic). Energy Ease had no obligation to LeavePlus because lift and escalator maintenance work was not covered by the scheme before July 2026.

What this means for ACME Lifts
From 3 July 2026 when Bronny starts working, ACME Lifts will report quarterly returns and pay long service leave charges to LeavePlus for Bronny.

Key point: Because Bronny’s service at Energy Ease predates 1 July 2026, no service was recorded with LeavePlus when she left. Bronny will begin accruing service under the portable long service leave scheme from the date she starts at ACME Lifts.

Example 3: Worker with fewer than 7 years’ service

Situation: Sanjay has worked for Swish Lift for 3 years as of 1 July 2026.

What this means for Sanjay
• Sanjay’s service will accrue toward their long service leave entitlement under the portable long service leave scheme from 1 July 2026. Service before this date does not count, as lift and escalator maintenance was not covered under the portable long service leave scheme before that date.
• If Sanjay stays with Swish Lift for a total of 7 years, he will reach his long service leave entitlement and can apply for leave through Swish Lift directly. This 3 years of existing service will mean Sanjay can access their long service leave 3 years sooner if they continue working for Swish Lift.

What this means for Swish Lift:
Swish Lift is responsible for the 3 years of long service leave entitlement prior to1 July 2026. From 1 July 2026, Swish Lift will report quarterly returns and pay long service leave charges to LeavePlus for Sanjay when these 2 amounts of long service reach 7 years together, Sanjay can apply to Swish Lift for his long service. Swish Lift can apply to LeavePlus and be reimbursed 4 years contributions from LeavePlus to pay for the LeavePlus component.

Key point: Sanjay’s work is covered by both LeavePlus and the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic) from 1 July 2026.

Example 4: Worker with fewer than 7 years’ service — leaves before reaching entitlement

Situation: Bronson has worked for GTH doing lift and escalator maintenance for 3 years as of 1 July 2026. He leaves GTH a day before reaching 7 years.

What this means for Bronson
• Bronson has not reached his long service leave entitlement under the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic) and will not be paid out by GTH.
• Service prior to 1 July 2026 is not recognised by LeavePlus, as lift and escalator maintenance was not covered work before that date.
• Bronson has accrued almost 3 years under the portable long service leave scheme with LeavePlus and will need to continue doing covered work for another 4 years to reach a portable long service leave entitlement.

What this means for GTH
Because Bronson leaves before reaching 7 years, GTH is not required to pay out long service leave as per the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic). GTH had no obligation to LeavePlus for Bronson’s work because lift and escalator maintenance was not covered by the LeavePlus scheme before 1 July 2026.

Key point: When Bronson left GTH before reaching 7 years of continuous service, GTH was not required to pay out long service leave (as per the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic). Bronson will need to reach 7 continuous years of service to access a portable long service leave entitlement.

Example 5: Worker with mixed covered and maintenance service history

Situation: Sally has worked for Height Co for 6 years as of 1 July 2026. For the first 4 years they worked in lift installation and other covered construction work. For the last 2 years they have worked in lift maintenance.

What this means for Sally
• Sally needs 7 years of continuous service with Height Co to reach their long service leave entitlement with Height Co.
• If Sally leaves Height Co and wants to claim long service leave directly through LeavePlus, they will need an additional 3 years of covered work to reach 7 continuous years of service under the portable long service leave scheme with LeavePlus.

What this means for Height Co
Height Co should have reported quarterly returns to LeavePlus for the first 4 years of Sally’s service. The last 2 years have not been reported, as lift maintenance was not covered work before 1 July 2026.

Key point: Sally has 4 years’ continuous service accrued under the portable long service leave scheme. She needs another 3 years of continuous service before she can claim her benefit. She can claim with Height Co when she reaches 7 continuous years under the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic).

Example 6: Worker with a break in covered service

Situation: Sung-Yi has 6 years of covered construction work (with different employers) followed by 4 years of lift maintenance work with ELECTRO-D before 1 July 2026.

What this means for Sung-Yi
• Sung-Yi’s employers will have reported quarterly returns to LeavePlus for the 6 years they were doing covered work.
• Sung-Yi started doing lift maintenance work before 1 July 2026 when this type of work wasn’t covered by the LeavePlus scheme. Any work of that nature done prior to 1 July 2026 would not have been recorded with LeavePlus.
• Because Sung-Yi has less than 7 years of continuous service under the portable long service leave scheme and has taken a 4-year break from covered work their previous service is lost.
• Sung-Yi will need to reach 7 years of continuous service under the portable long service leave scheme before they can reach their long service leave entitlement.

What this means for ELECTRO-D
Sung-Yi’s different employers reported quarterly returns for the 6 years he completed construction work. When Sung-Yi moved to ELECTRO-D and completed 4 years of lift maintenance work, this was before this type of work was not covered by the scheme before 1 July 2026, so ELECTRO-D did not report this work to LeavePlus.

Key point: A break of more than 4 years from covered work where fewer than 7 years of continuous service has been recorded results in the loss of all previous service under the portable long service leave scheme.

Example 7: Worker with a break in covered service, but with incidental covered work during that break

Situation: Frederico has done lift installation and major modification work for 6 years (with different employers), then spent the last 4 years doing lift maintenance work (with his current employer). During the time Frederico was doing lift maintenance, he completed more than 5 days work in a calendar month for a major modification (installation) which is considered covered work under the portable long service leave scheme. This work was not, but should have been, reported to LeavePlus by their employer.

What this means for Frederico
As of 1 July 2026, Frederico has 6 years of continuous service recognised under the portable long service leave scheme, but the 4 years he worked on maintenance and modification was not recorded, which is considered a Break in Service. Fredrico will need to submit a Missing Service Request with LeavePlus to get his work on the major modification recognised and the break removed.

What this means for employers
Frederico’s employers will have to report the days he worked on the major modification and pay charges to LeavePlus.

Key point: Frederico can submit a missing service request to close any 4-year break in service gaps. This would have otherwise been lost portable long service scheme leave.

For complex scenarios, including workers with mixed covered and maintenance service histories, contact LeavePlus.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

IMPORTANT
From 1 July 2026, your service from lift and escalator repair and maintenance work will begin being recorded with LeavePlus, building towards your portable long service leave entitlement. However, it is important to understand that you will not be entitled to any long service leave unless you have either 7 years of service on record with LeavePlus, or 7 years of continuous service with a single employer. Without reaching one of those two milestones, no long service leave entitlement will exist.

Does my maintenance and service lift work before 1 July 2026 count?

No. Only lift and escalator repair and maintenance work performed on or after 1 July 2026 counts toward your portable long service scheme entitlement with LeavePlus. This work was not covered by the scheme before that date.

What if I do other construction work, in addition to lift or escalator maintenance or repair work?

Lift or escalator maintenance or repair work can be combined with other covered construction work. If the work is covered by the portable long service leave scheme administered by LeavePlus, then it needs to be reported as service.

What if I’m entitled to long service leave with my employer before I’m covered by the LeavePlus scheme?

You may be entitled to long service leave under the Long Service Leave Act 2018 (Vic) or an enterprise agreement before you’re covered by the portable long service leave scheme. If this happens, your employer must provide long service leave directly to you.

What if I work for more than one employer at the same time?

Employers should report your service to LeavePlus, and it will be added to your record to count towards your entitlement under the portable long service scheme.

What if my employer hasn’t been reporting my service?

You can submit a missing service request through the LeavePlus portal. If you can provide evidence that you performed covered work such as payslips, LeavePlus can investigate and have the service recorded. See Example application 7 in the menu above for more detail.

What is missing service?

Missing service happens when your employer hasn’t reported your work to LeavePlus as required. You can check your service record by logging in to the LeavePlus portal each quarter, or by reviewing your annual Statement of Service.

How do I recover missing service?

Log in to the LeavePlus portal and complete the Missing Service form. You will need to provide proof of service such as payslips, a PAYG Summary, Income Statement, or Individual Tax Return for each financial year affected. If the missing service is from your current employer, you can also ask them to complete a Worker Service Confirmation form. You will need to provide proof of service such as payslips, a PAYG Summary, Income Statement, or Individual Tax Return for each financial year affected.

What happens if I stop working in the industry?

If you haven’t done covered work for 4 years, your service record becomes inactive. If you return within 4 years, your previous service is preserved. If you return after 4 years, your record resets and any new service starts from zero. If you have 7 or more years of continuous service, you can still claim your portable long service leave benefit at any time. It never expires. If you have less than 7 years, you cannot claim once your service becomes inactive.

What is a ‘Break in Service’?

A ‘Break in Service’ occurs when you stop doing covered construction work for 4 years or more. Any service recorded before the break will not count toward a future entitlement, and you will need to start building service again from zero.

Can a ‘Break in Service’ be approved?

In some circumstances, yes. You may be able to apply for an approved ‘Break in Service’ if you were off work due to a workplace injury, illness or injury on medical advice, doing construction work interstate, or working as a subcontractor in Victoria. Log in to the LeavePlus portal and complete the Break in Service form to apply.