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Following a 2023 election commitment, the NSW Government sought to introduce a portable long service leave scheme for the community services sector. A consultation process was commenced in March 2024; this is NCOSS’s submission to that consultation.NCOSS believes the introduction of a Portable Long Service Leave Scheme in NSW is a valuable reform that will support the sustainability of the community services sector. NCOSS has been calling for a portable long service leave scheme to be introduced for several years.
To inform this submission, NCOSS has held discussions with multiple members and sector organisations, including other peak bodies. NCOSS also issued a survey to members, capturing the perspectives of almost 70 members on the suggested design. To guide our responses, NCOSS considered that the Scheme design should:
- Support the sustainability of the sector, particularly as a policy response to the ongoing and worsening workforce challenges faced by the community services sector (e.g. the Scheme incentivises workers to join and remain in the sector)
- Minimise unnecessary administrative burden for impacted organisations, particularly smaller non-government organisations that are already under immense pressures (driven by a combination of administrative, funding, reporting, cost and workforce issues).
- Minimise the financial costs of the Scheme on NGOs, including any unfunded increase in employee expense (i.e. the proposed Scheme Levy does not substantially exceed the existing Long Service Leave payments of organisations, or funding is increased to cover the cost).