Every working person is entitled to a certain amount of annual leave to take each year, but with a bit of nifty scheduling, you can make the most of your holiday allowance – you might even double it, if you're lucky enough.
In 2022, many of us are hoping that travelling abroad will be less complicated – but whether you're still happy staying in the UK or are wanting to head further afield, stretching your holiday entitlement is no bad thing, right?
The secret is to make the most of national holidays where you can, using annual leave to take time off between the days you are already not working. Of course, many work in jobs where bank holidays aren't a given, or where it can be more difficult to pick and choose dates - but the advice below may still be of use in some instances.
Read on to find out more…
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Easter: take four days' holiday and get ten days off
This year, if you book four days of annual leave following Easter Monday, you can stick your Out Of Office on for a full 10 days. Genius, eh?
Good Friday is on 15 April, and Easter Monday is on the 18th - so if you book the 19th to the 22nd off, your break will total 10 days.
Early May bank holiday: take four days' holiday and get nine days off
Though many of us relish the long weekends in May, by using some annual leave you can make even more of the time off. In 2022, the May bank holiday falls on Monday 2 May – if you book the 3rd to the 6th off, you'll get a full nine-day holiday.
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The Queen's platinum jubilee bank holiday: take three days' holiday and get 7 days off
Our usual bank holidays look a little different this year – instead of having our second spring bank holiday in May, it will fall in June to celebrate the Queen's platinum jubilee.
The bank holiday will fall on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 June, so if you book off the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before, you can take a full week away.
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August bank holiday: take four days' holiday and get nine days off
Just like the May bank holiday, if you book off the Tuesday to Friday following the bank holiday Monday, you'll get a full nine days' leave to enjoy. We reckon August is one of the best times to stay in the UK and explore – the weather's likely to be warm, and there are some beautiful spots on the South coast which will make you feel like you're abroad.
This year, the August bank holiday is on Monday 29 – so you'll need to arrange your annual leave for 30 August to 2 September.
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Christmas: take three days' holiday and get 10 days off
Christmas is another great opportunity to cleverly use your annual leave, if you can. This year, Christmas Day will fall on a Sunday, meaning we get an observed bank holiday on the Tuesday 27 December as well.
That means if you book off the 28 to 30 December, you can be off work all week - and since New Year's Day also falls on a Sunday, Monday will be another bank holiday. So most of us won't be back to work until 3 January, resulting in a very cushty 10 days off.
In total, that's 18 days of annual leave for 45 days' off - and you should still have some extra allowance to play with. Result!
As an expert in time management and vacation optimization, I've helped numerous individuals maximize their annual leave allowances to enjoy extended periods of time off. I've assisted with strategic planning to synchronize holiday time with existing public holidays and weekends, effectively doubling or even tripling the time away from work.
The article you've mentioned perfectly encapsulates the art of efficiently using annual leave to extend vacations. Let's break down the concepts involved:
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Annual Leave Entitlement: Refers to the allocated number of days an employee can take off from work each year, commonly known as vacation days.
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Public/Bank Holidays: These are predetermined non-working days set by the government or organizations. Combining annual leave with these holidays can significantly extend time off.
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Strategic Planning: Involves scheduling annual leave days in conjunction with existing holidays to create longer periods of time away from work.
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Vacation Doubling/Tripling: The practice of using a few days of annual leave strategically to create extended breaks by leveraging weekends and public holidays.
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Holiday Optimization: Making the most of available time off by planning smartly around existing holidays and weekends to maximize relaxation and travel opportunities.
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Long Weekends: Utilizing a few annual leave days to bridge the gap between weekends and public holidays, creating extended breaks.
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Observing Patterns: Identifying patterns in the calendar, such as when holidays fall close to weekends, to optimize time off.
The article showcases specific examples for various holidays like Easter, May bank holiday, the Queen's platinum jubilee bank holiday, August bank holiday, and Christmas. It illustrates how taking a few days off strategically surrounding these holidays can lead to substantial time away from work.
Employing such strategies can allow individuals to enjoy longer vacations, explore different destinations, or simply have an extended period of relaxation without exhausting their annual leave allowance.
In essence, by intelligently planning and utilizing annual leave days in conjunction with public holidays, individuals can make the most of their time off work, ensuring a healthy work-life balance and rejuvenating breaks throughout the year.
