Annual leave hacks: how to get a 16-day break at Christmas and Easter

Here’s how to get more than two weeks off work this Christmas (and again at Easter) while using minimal annual leave days

Do you fancy a long break from work? How does 16 days at Christmas sound? Or 16 days at Easter?

If you’d like to maximise your annual leave (while using the minimum number of leave days), a savvy inspection of the company calendar can guarantee you exactly that.

Christmas 2019

Assuming your office is closed from December 24-27, as well as on January 1 (and assuming you have at least five annual leave days left to take) – you can have a whopping 16 days off in a row this festive season.

In other words, you could clock-out of work on Friday, December 20 and not return until Monday, January 6.

This is because Christmas falls on a Wednesday and is followed by a public holiday. While Christmas Eve and December 27 aren’t technically public holidays, many companies choose to remain closed anyway.

Factoring in New Year’s Day, three weekends and five annual leave days, you’ve got more than two weeks off. There’s no better Christmas gift than that.

Days to book off for a 16-day Christmas break: 

– Monday, December 23
– Monday, December 30
– Tuesday, December 31
– Thursday, January 2
– Friday, January 3

Easter 2020

Easter 2020 falls on Sunday, April 12, with a bank holiday the following Monday. While the preceding Friday (Good Friday) is not an official public holiday, many companies choose to stay closed for it regardless.

With this in mind, you can guarantee yourself eight days off in a row by using just four days of annual leave, either before Good Friday or after Easter Monday.

Alternatively, if you would like 16 days off in a row, simply book eight days of annual leave.

Days to request off for a 16-day Easter break:

– Monday, April 6
– Tuesday, April 7
– Wednesday, April 8
– Thursday, April 9
– Tuesday, April 14
– Wednesday, April 15
– Thursday, April 16
– Friday, April 17

Now all you have to do is request the days before your teammates do. The race to HR is on.

Photo: The Office, NBCUniversal 

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