Employers to get €200m windfall from ‘free’ leap day

Workers who receive an annual wage will work the extra day because there are 252 working days in a leap year as opposed to the 251 days they worked last year.

The extra labour will be worth about €184m to employers.

A spokesman for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Macdara Doyle, confirmed that the situation, highlighted four years ago, has not changed.

"The situation has not changed for salaried workers, but with lack of demand crippling the economy, perhaps an end-of-month contribution from employers might help boost spend in the domestic economy."

Chief economist with Friends First, Jim Power, said that due to the harsh economic climate, workers should be happy to work the extra day for free.

"Employers need everything they can get at this juncture, given the tough economic climate.

"Workers should regard this as a small sacrifice to make in order to help keep businesses trading."

Four years ago, when it emerged that people would not be paid for their extra day’s work, it sparked a campaign in Britain which saw more than 4,000 people from Ireland and Britain vowing to stay home and take a "duvet day".

Despite there being no change in contracts to take account of the extra day worked, employees have not been planning to bunk off this year.