Who Gives A Crap gives employees day off work to celebrate leap year

An Aussie brand has given its staff a day off work to celebrate a “rare and magical” event and do “something they love”.

An Aussie brand is giving all its staff a day off work to celebrate the “rare and magical” event marking a leap year.

Marking February 29, which only occurs every four years, Who Gives A Crap – a social enterprise business that sells toilet paper online – decided to give its entire global team the day off work on Thursday.

Who Give A Crap employees have been given February 29 off work. Picture: Supplied

“It’s an extra day, we could all continue working hard or, on the other hand, be doing something we’re passionate about outside of work, whatever that may look like,” the brand wrote on LinkedIn.

“So if you happen to reach out to our team next week, they’ll probably be out walking the dog, making pasta from scratch, playing leapfrog, protesting for a better world, going for a swim or doing nothing at all.

“As long as it’s something they love, they’re doing the day right.

“Because when we get these extra moments, we think it’s worth making the most of them.”

The not-for-profit business donates 50 per cent of its profits to help build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world.

Who Gives a Crap chief executive Simon Griffiths says the brand hopes to educate people about hygiene problems across the world. Picture: Supplied

Speaking to NCA NewsWire in 2021, Who Gives a Crap founder and chief executive Simon Griffiths said the subscription-based business was launched in 2012 in an effort to raise awareness about toilet hygiene in third-world areas.

“We saw that there was an opportunity to use a product that we all use every single day to engage people in a conversation about one of the most off-track development goals that we have in the world – and it is still – because it is something a bit icky and gross,” Mr Griffiths said.

The toilet paper is made from 100 per cent recycled fibres.

Meanwhile, millions of Aussies on a salary will be working an extra day without pay on Thursday.

Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research deputy director Roger Wilkins said those salary workers would just have to deal with it.

“When you get a salary, the idea is you’re not really getting paid per hour, you are sort of getting paid for a job,” Mr Wilkins said.

“But yeah, it costs more to eat in a leap year (due to the extra day), so it’s pretty clear that your expenses will go up and your income won’t. I think that’s a fair comment.”

Originally published as Who Gives A Crap gives employees day off work to celebrate leap year