Estimate redundancy pay on the NES scale
Select an employee's years of continuous service and their base weekly pay to estimate the redundancy pay owed under the National Employment Standards (Fair Work Act s119).
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This calculator provides general estimates only, based on the National Employment Standards redundancy scale (Fair Work Act s119). Small-business employers (fewer than 15 employees) and some other categories may be exempt, and awards, agreements or contracts can provide more. Redundancy pay is based on the employee's base rate for ordinary hours and does not include other final-pay components. It is not legal advice — confirm entitlements with Fair Work before finalising a payment. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.
Redundancy pay calculator
Choose the years of continuous service, then enter the base weekly pay (excluding overtime, penalties and allowances).
Redundancy pay estimate
Estimates only — verify before making decisions.
How to calculate redundancy pay
5 steps, using the same method as the calculator above.
Check whether redundancy pay applies
Small businesses and under-12-month service are generally excluded.
Work out continuous service
Continuous service with the employer.
Read the weeks from the NES scale
4 weeks at 1–2 years, rising to 16 weeks at 9–10 years.
Find the base weekly wage
Ordinary hours at the base rate only.
Multiply weeks by the weekly wage
Weeks × base weekly wage. Notice is separate.
Worked example: 7 years of service
What the NES scale produces for a mid-tenure employee.
Redundancy, 7 years’ continuous service
Indicative estimate- Years of service
- 7
- NES scale
- 13 weeks
- Base weekly wage
- $1,200.00
Redundancy calculation
Notice of termination is paid in addition to redundancy pay. The scale drops to 12 weeks at 10 years and over — that is the NES, not an error.
How NES redundancy pay works
The National Employment Standards set a minimum redundancy pay scale under section 119 of the Fair Work Act. The number of weeks of pay rises with an employee’s period of continuous service — from 4 weeks after at least 1 year, up to 16 weeks between 9 and 10 years.
A quirk of the scale is that redundancy pay drops to 12 weeks once an employee reaches 10 years or more of service (because they also become entitled to long service leave). To estimate the payment, multiply the weeks of pay by the base weekly rate: an employee with 5 years of service (10 weeks) on $1,500 per week is owed 10 × $1,500 = $15,000. This is separate from other final pay components such as unused annual leave.
Worked examples (NES scale)
Redundancy pay for different periods of continuous service. Based on the base weekly rate for ordinary hours only.
3 years' service · $1,200/wk
NES scale 7 weeks → 7 × $1,200 = $8,400.00.
5 years' service · $1,500/wk
NES scale 10 weeks → 10 × $1,500 = $15,000.00.
10+ years' service · $1,400/wk
NES scale 12 weeks (drops from 16) → 12 × $1,400 = $16,800.00.
Small business and other exemptions
Small-business employers with fewer than 15 employees are generally not required to pay NES redundancy pay, and some employees (such as casuals and those with less than 12 months’ service) are excluded. Awards, enterprise agreements or contracts can also provide more than the NES minimum. Always confirm the entitlement with Fair Work before finalising a redundancy.
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Frequently asked questions
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Under the NES (Fair Work Act s119), redundancy pay is a number of weeks of pay based on the employee’s continuous service, multiplied by their base weekly rate. For 5 years of service (10 weeks) at $1,500 per week, that’s 10 × $1,500 = $15,000. See how to calculate final pay for the other components.
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The NES scale runs from 4 weeks (at least 1 year of service) up to 16 weeks (9–10 years), then drops to 12 weeks at 10 years or more. This calculator applies the correct number of weeks for each service band. Awards or contracts may provide more — check yours.
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The NES scale intentionally reduces from 16 weeks to 12 weeks at 10+ years of service, reflecting that long-serving employees also accrue long service leave. This is a well-known feature of the scale, not an error.