Employers generally calculate employees’ salaries,
contributions and deductions based on a 52-week calendar year.
While February typically has 28 days, in leap years – such as
2020 – a 29th day appears. That can be problematic for Human
Resources and payroll professionals as the extra day may result in
one more payday than normal in the calendar year depending on when
and how employees are paid.
Affected employees include salaried employees who are paid
weekly or bi-weekly because the number of payroll periods
fluctuates based on the number of days each year. Specifically, in
the year 2020, Wednesday and Thursday will occur 53 times, which
means that employees who are paid weekly or bi-weekly on Wednesday
or Thursday may receive an extra paycheck. Whether or not that
results in more money will depend on how employers structure
employees’ compensation.
