How Does the 2024 Leap Year Affect Pay?

This year is a leap year, meaning there will be 29 days in February, rather than the usual 28. If an employee works on the 29th February, are they entitled to extra pay?

This comes down to how your employees are paid. Workers on an hourly rate are entitled to be paid for all the hours they work, regardless of when they fall. If they work on the 29th of February, they should be paid as they would for working on any other day.

Salaried workers, on the other hand, receive a fixed wage every month and are therefore not entitled to receive additional payment for the extra day, as it is considered to have already been factored into their overall earnings. However, for some salaried employees who are paid close to minimum wage, working the extra day could mean that their salary will fall below the minimum wage. In these cases, they should receive a payment to ensure that they are still being paid fairly and legally.

Whilst rare, some salaried workers may have a provision in their contract that states that they will be paid for an extra day on a leap year. It is important to check your employee's contracts to see if this applies. If this is the case, then you will be required to pay the employee for the extra day.

For further HR advice or guidance in relation to the topic above, get in touch with the Lansbury HR Consultants. We are here to support businesses nationally and locally in Burton-on-Trent, Swadlincote, and Derby.