Blockade briefly stops Pride Parade in downtown Winnipeg
A group of protesters briefly blocked the Winnipeg Pride Parade on Sunday.
It's once again a leap year in 2024. For some Canadians, Feb. 29 means an extra day of pay, while others may find themselves having to work for free on the leap day.
Alan Price, CEO of Toronto-based human resources software provider BrightHR, says the leap year is good news for anyone who gets paid hourly.
"Hourly employees that work on Feb. 29 should be paid as per usual. This implies that they should be compensated for all actual hours worked, including the extra day in February, just like any other day," he told CTVNews.ca in an email.
Salaried employees who are paid on a weekly or bi-weekly basis would also get paid as usual for the extra day. However, some salaried employees are paid monthly or semi-monthly – once on the 15th and once on the last day.
For these salaried employees, Price says it might be "tough luck."
"If they have worked on Feb. 29, they would not be eligible for additional pay for this extra day unless their employment contract specifically provides otherwise," Price said.
Salaried employees on minimum wage could actually make less than minimum wage over the course of the year if they work on the leap day . Price says employers should take the leap year into account in order to be in compliance with provincial minimum wage legislation.
"A viable solution to this could be paying such employees for the extra hours worked or providing new employees with an annual wage slightly higher than minimum wage requirements,” he said.
"As a best practice, ensure you have documentation in place that accounts for the hours worked and hours paid to the employee."
Some employers already factor leap years when it comes to calculating the amount per pay period. For example, the Public Service Agency of Canada takes the annual salary and divides it by 26.088 to determine the bi-weekly pay. Because of the leap year, one year has an average of 365.24 days, and 365.24 divided by 14 is 26.088.
Chris Aylward, national president of the Public Sector Alliance of Canada, one of the country's largest labour unions, says negotiators should consider leap years when contract talks arise.
"When workers join or form unions, they gain the ability to bargain collectively. This means they can negotiate fair compensation for leap days – along with many other things like a safer and more inclusive workplace, better pensions and benefits, and regular wage increases," he said in a statement provided to CTV News.
With files from CTV's Adrian Ghobrial
A group of protesters briefly blocked the Winnipeg Pride Parade on Sunday.
People around the world are observing National Cancer Survivor Day, an annual celebration held to honour patients who have been through the often difficult and traumatic experience of living with cancer.
Research shows that art experiences, whether as a maker or a beholder, transform our biology by rewiring our brains and triggering the release of neurochemicals, hormones and endorphins.
Ryan Reynolds this week unveiled arguably the most anticipated and sure-to-be coveted merchandise tied to his upcoming 'Deadpool' sequel: the movie’s novelty popcorn bucket.
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
During the pandemic, the Ontario government started to hand out cash to parents to help offset the cost of at-home learning while schools were shuttered.
Israel is looking into an alternative local governing body for Gaza, the defense minister said Sunday, proposing a future beyond Hamas but giving no idea who those challengers might be.
Media magnate Rupert Murdoch, 93, has married for the fifth time, his corporation, News Corp, confirmed Sunday.
South Korea said Sunday it’ll soon take retaliatory steps against North Korea over its launch of trash-carrying balloons across the border and other provocations.
Car 14 is a luxury passenger car that once made regular runs from London to Port Stanley starting in 1917.
A hefty donation by a renowned local activist to the University of Winnipeg has created what is believed to be the most comprehensive two-spirit archives in all of Canada.
Leanne Van Bergen discovered a skulk of 10 baby foxes, and two mothers, had made themselves at home on her property in Beausejour.
An 81-year-old Waterloo, Ont. woman thought she’d never ride a horse again after a brain bleed led to severe physical complications.
A CP24 camera caught the moment a driver frantically got out of her car as it was being dragged by a truck on Avenue Road Wednesday afternoon.
Prince Edward Island is celebrating its first-ever International Day of Potato on Thursday.
The president of Covered Bridge Chips in New Brunswick is hoping to have his factory rebuilt for late 2025 following a devastating fire last year.
Students and staff at Winnipeg’s Westwood Collegiate had a unique problem to solve this month; how do you lead ducks to water from the school’s courtyard when 12 of them can’t fly yet?
Debby Lorinczy remembers her father as an amazing person and as a man who also made an amazing discovery.