News & Insights

It is a question many employees may be wondering at the beginning of a leap year and one that not all employers immediately know the answer to, so we thought we would confirm the position for you in time for 29 February 2020.

The answer, quite simply, depends on whether the employee is paid a salary or paid on the basis of hours worked.

An employee who is paid a salary will not receive any extra pay for the extra day in a leap year, unless this has been specifically agreed with their employer or it is provided for in their contract of employment. Generally, a salary is a set annual amount paid by way of monthly instalments, unaffected by a leap year.

An employee who is paid according to the hours they work or amount of work, would be entitled to be paid for any work carried out by them on the 29 February in the same way as they would be for work carried out on any other day (assuming there is no agreement otherwise). In effect, such employees will, therefore, be paid for the work performed on that day.

There are campaigns for 29 February to become a bank holiday and no doubt such campaigns will receive much support in the lead up to the 29 February 2020, however it is safe to say it will not be happening this year.

If you would like any further support or advice from our employment law specialists, please do not hesitate to contact Ella Gould on 01202 557256 or email Ella on e.gould@laceyssolicitors.co.uk