Workers encouraged to take Green Leap Day: UK National Trust

Lucy Cockcroft, The Telegraph 12 Feb 08;

The National Trust is leading a campaign to give workers an extra day of paid leave every leap year, on the condition they use it to help tackle climate change.

February 29 is traditionally the day women can propose to men, but now some companies are encouraging their staff to take it as holiday.

The Green Leap Day initiative has been started so workers can use the extra 24 hours for improving the environment by carrying out tasks like changing their lighting to energy efficient bulbs, creating a compost heap or arranging recycling facilities.

The National Trust is leading the campaign and will announce all 4,800 staff and 49,000 volunteers will be told to take the day off to help to reduce their own carbon footprint. Those who take the opportunity will still be paid.

Other companies and organisations, which all get an extra day's labour free out of salaried staff in a leap year, are expected to join the Green Leap Day initiative.

Dame Fiona Reynolds, director-general of the National Trust, said: "There are over 29 million employees in the UK, if just one million changed one light bulb and turned their thermostat down by one degree it would save 351,000 tons of carbon.

"We want organisations of all sorts and sizes to come on board in whatever form they are able, to encourage people to do something for the environment."

Many of the trust's 300 historic houses and gardens do not open until March, but many premises are still staffed to prepare for the start of the season.

Staff will be asked to file a brief report of what they have achieved, but there will be no disciplinary action against those discovered to have spent the day in front of the television or in the pub.

Those who oppose the idea will be allowed to work as normal. Even the Trade Union Congress has backed the campaign and is calling for other employers to get involved in helping staff to tackle climate change.

Brendan Barber, General Secretary the TUC, said: "Giving employees an extra day off work while encouraging them to think about what they can do to go greener sounds like a great idea.

"More employers should be thinking about how to give their staff a better work-life balance."

The UK is to be hit by regular malaria outbreaks, fatal heatwaves and contaminated drinking water within five years because of global warming, the Government has warned the NHS.