Leap Year: Are Workers Entitled to an Extra Day’s Pay? - By Helen Doherty

2024 is a leap year which means there are 366 days in the year rather than the standard 365 days. The additional day falls on the 29th of February which is my birthday!

Have you or your employees faced any of these issues?

? Passport refused by a very well-known travel company as they thought it was fraudulent.

? When inputting my DOB into some websites I have to put the year first, then the month, then the day otherwise it won’t be recognised.

So, are workers entitled to an extra day's pay?

The truth is an employee’s entitlement to pay for the additional day in a leap year depends on how they are paid - salaried and hourly.

Salaried employees

Salaried employees who receive the same basic pay every month are not entitled to additional pay on a leap year.

However, there is an exception to this.

For employees earning the National Minimum Wage (NMW) or slightly more, you need to check the additional day doesn’t reduce their pay to below the statutory minimum. Remember,?failure to pay the NMW,?can result in criminal conviction and/or financial penalties of up to 200% of arrears.

Employees who are paid according to the hours they work

Employees who are paid according to the hours they work or the amount of work they complete should get paid for working an extra day.

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