Zappos leaps into new holiday

Most people do not get a paid holiday for “Leap Day,” Feb. 29.



Then again, most people do not work for online footwear and apparel retailer Zappos. Known for doing things a little differently, such as replacing the traditional bureaucratic management structure with decentralized “holacracy,” Zappos is taking a novel approach to Leap Day.



On Feb. 29, 2016, Zappos is giving all employees a paid day off. The company has also launched a petition with Change.org with a goal of at least 100,000 online petition signers for Leap Day to be declared a national paid holiday.



Zappos is adding a social promotional angle to the idea with the hashtag #TakeTheLeap. The retailer is encouraging consumers to use the extra 24 hours they get once every four years to do something they’ve always wanted to do, and then post about it on social media.



For the first time ever, the always-open Zappos call center will close for 24 hours, from 9 p.m. ET on Feb. 28 through 9 p.m. ET on Feb. 29, 2016 (midnight to midnight Pacific Time). Stories of how employees are spending Leap Day will be shared across Zappos social channels.



In addition, two Zappos employees will take the leap into marriage on Feb. 29. Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh will officiate the wedding.



“One of Zappos’ core values is to embrace and drive change,” said Tyler Williams of Zappos Brand Aura. “We believe this extra day will give employees the chance to live that value by doing something they’ve always wanted to do, and hope to inspire others to do the same.”



Most holidays invented by online retailers, such as Amazon Prime Day or Alibaba.com’s Singles Day, serve the purpose of generating extra sales. With Leap Day, Zappos is hoping for a “soft return” of positive brand image and a temporarily higher profile on social media. It will be hard to calculate the ROI against the loss of an extra day of sales, but increased visibility is almost certain.