Oxford City Council is giving staff a late Christmas present -- an extra day off on January 2.

Council managers have taken the decision to delay reopening services in the New Year until Monday, January 5. The local authority will be joined by several other Oxfordshire employers, including Oxford Brookes University.

Normally, the council would close on December 24 and reopen after the Christmas break on January 2, but in 2004 this falls on a Friday. In previous years, many staff have taken a day's leave on January 2, but this year, 1,200 employees will be given the day off to reward them for their hard work.

In an e-mail to staff, chief executive Marion Headicar said: "I believe staff have worked very hard this year to improve council services.

"We are taking this opportunity -- given the economics of opening and heating all council buildings for one day at the end of the Christmas break -- to reward staff with an extra day's leave."

On-call services for homelessness, emergency tenant repairs, urgent cleansing services, environmental health, car parks and dangerous buildings will still be provided by the city council.

The 17,000 staff who work for the county council are not so lucky. Head of personnel Sue Corrigan said: "We open on days after Bank Holidays as a matter of course."

The average annual holiday entitlement for county council staff is 29 days. City council staff get 25 days' leave, plus three extra days following Bank Holidays.

The city council's Unison branch chairman Martin Gregory said: "It's seems sensible not to open up the council buildings just for one day. Staff will welcome this."

Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce president Keith Slater said several non-retail companies would remain closed on January 2.

"There is not much point in opening up just for one day, because the cost of getting the boilers running outweighs any output that you get," he said.

The BMW Mini plant in Cowley will stop production on December 22 and restart on January 2. A spokesman said: "It is not just one odd day for us, because it will be followed by normal weekend shifts on Saturday and Sunday, January 3 and 4."