We hate to inform you that the next bank holiday is not until 29 March. Yep, that's Good Friday and that's a long way off. Time to rethink how you use your annual leave...
And while we might not be able to afford our dream holiday this year, people are coming to realise the importance of taking some time off work, no matter what you do with it.
And yes, that includes taking time off to stare at the wall instead of your emails. Or lie down and watch Netflix while your child is in nursery. Or plan a trip with FRIENDS for later in the year with crossed fingers. Remember FRIENDS?
You may also have had to use your annual leave to move house, for childcare purposes or to help a loved one out, and now are worrying that your days won't stretch to some ACTUAL TIME OFF.
Whatever, the circumstances, we're here to remind you that, a) you need to take some holiday time. And b) if you're clever about it, you can stretch it a lot further than the standard 25 day allowance.
So, if you work Monday to Friday, here's our plan for getting 55 days off by booking just 25 days' annual leave around the bank holidays.
March and April Easter bank holidays 2024
Easter celebrations mean a long weekend in late March this year. Bank holidays in April are Good Friday 29 March and Easter Monday 1 April.
So, by booking annual leave from 25 March to 5 April, you can enjoy a two-week holiday with just eight days off.
May bank holidays 2024
There are two May bank holidays in 2024, Monday 6 May: Early May bank holiday and Monday 27 May: Spring bank holiday.
If you take 6 May to 10 off, you can get a nine-day holiday by booking four days off work. Or book a mini-break for the last weekend in May and take a three-day trip without using any annual leave.
August bank holidays 2024
Monday 26 August is the summer bank holiday this year. That means you can take a holiday from 24 August to 1 September, to have a nine-day break using only four days of holiday leave.
Christmas, December 2024 / Jan 2025
You can enjoy a nine day break by booking three days of annual leave next Christmas because Christmas falls in the middle of the week on a Wednesday with Boxing Day on a Thursday. New Years Eve 2025 is a Tuesday, so Wednesday 1 January is a bank holiday.
Book the three days off either side and you can eat cake and drink Bailey's to your heart's content.