Member's Guide to ADF Pay and Conditions in Australia – see Disclaimer – check PACMAN for full details

5.3 Recreation leave

Recreation leave gives you time off, for holidays and relaxation away from work.

Basic credit

You are credited with recreation leave every pay fortnight. You can get up to 20 days' basic credit in a year. You will not be credited with leave for any day when you are on non-effective service. Non-effective service includes leave without pay, absence without leave, or detention.

Taking leave

Leave has to be approved before you can take it. Leave you take will reduce your recreation leave credit.

Leave lapsing

You cannot keep your leave credits forever. You may lose leave if you have not taken it three years after it was credited.

Rate of pay

You will be paid recreation leave at your substantive rank. It may be possible to pay an acting rank rate in some circumstances. Some allowances, such as Service allowance, rent allowance, district allowance and some others, will automatically be paid during leave. Some other allowances may be paid if you qualify.

When you end your ADF service

When you leave the ADF you will be paid for any unused recreation leave credits.

More recreation leave types

You can earn more recreation leave in some situations. Once you have accrued them, these other types of leave are treated in the same way as your basic credit.

Additional recreation leave

These types of service during the year may give you additional recreation leave. You cannot get more than 10 days a year of leave for these types of service.

· Field service

You will accrue recreation leave as you earn allowances for field service. These allowances will earn you recreation leave.

· Field allowance.

· Special action forces allowance, for some members.

· Specialist operations allowance, for some members

Leave is accrued as the allowances are paid, up to a maximum of 10 days a year.

· Flying service

If you were paid flying allowance or flight duties allowance you may earn more recreation leave. Leave is accrued as the allowances are paid, up to a maximum of 10 days a year. For example, for every day you are paid flight duties allowance you will get 0.1 day of additional recreation leave, until you have earned ten days' leave.

· Sea service

You will accrue recreation leave as you earn allowances for sea service. These allowances will earn you recreation leave.

· Hard lying allowance.

· Seagoing allowance.

· Submarine service allowance (disability).

· Specialist operations allowance (disability), at the annual rate.

Leave is accrued as the allowances are paid, up to a maximum of 10 days a year. If you get additional recreation leave for sea service you can not get additional recreation leave for service in a remote location in the same period.

Remote locations

If you worked in a remote location in Australia, or in an overseas hardship post, you get extra recreation leave. The amount of leave you get depends on how isolated you are. Lists can be found in the ADF Pay and Conditions Manual.

Remote locations in Australia - Chapter 5 Annex 5.2.A

Overseas hardship posts - Chapter 16 Annex 16.A

Extra recreation leave

If during the year you had to work outside your usual hours, and were not given time off or extra pay, you may be granted up to five days' extra recreation leave. Leave will not usually be given unless the extra work was long and hard. You may take this leave at any time during the year.

Trainee leave

If you are a trainee and you do not have enough recreation leave to cover a course break, you can use trainee leave after your recreation leave runs out.

Application to Reservists:  No, except for Reservists on continuous full-time service.

Reference:  ADF Pay and Conditions Manual, Chapter 5 Part 2