Strategic planning could help UK workers ‘stack’ their annual leave days around bank holidays to stretch standard holiday entitlement into significantly longer blocks of time, subject to employer approval
As the festive cheer begins to fade and the dreary ordeal of January looms, we’re all on the hunt for a silver lining to brighten up the year ahead.
This glimmer of hope might just be found in recent research that reveals how many of us could potentially maximise our holiday allowance next year – bagging up to 63 days off by using only 28 days of annual leave.
Most UK employees, who work a standard five-day week, are typically entitled to about 28 days of annual leave. However, with some clever planning, astute workers can ‘stack’ their annual leave days to extend their standard holiday entitlement into considerably longer periods of time.
The experts at TargetJobs have detailed how you can effectively double your annual holiday entitlement with a bit of careful manoeuvring.
Do keep in mind though, that your colleagues might also be privy to similar advice, so you’ll need to act swiftly to secure those prime holiday dates before someone else beats you to the punch!
The first holiday you should aim to book is tomorrow (Friday, January 2) – although this might be a tad last-minute for some. Taking into account weekends and bank holidays, this could see you enjoying a four-day break for the price of just one day’s leave.
Next on the agenda is your Easter break. This year, Good Friday falls on April 3, followed by Easter Monday on April 6.
By booking from Monday, 30 March to Thursday, 2 April and then from Tuesday, 7 April to Friday, 10 April, you’ll only use eight days of leave but score a whopping 16 days off work.
You could use this time to soak up some spring sunshine as resorts in southern Europe begin to heat up. Alternatively, if lounging on the beach isn’t your cup of tea, you might still be able to fit in a late-season ski trip at high-altitude resorts like Val Thorens in France’s Tarentaise Valley.
The following month, there will be two official bank holidays. If you book four days off over each, you’ll bag a nine-day break.
That’s plenty of time to jet off to the Mediterranean, or even further afield. If your budget allows, you could squeeze in a week in the Caribbean.
The final bank holiday of 2026 falls on Monday, 31 August, which can give you an additional nine-day break, if you take four days of leave immediately afterwards.
Finally, fast-forwarding to next Christmas, the big day lands on a Friday. As Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, that day off is moved to Monday, 28 December. This means you could use just seven days worth of leave to secure yourself 16 consecutive days off.
You could embrace the festive spirit with a snowy getaway in Lapland, or dodge the season entirely and opt for some winter sun.
Bear in mind, though, popular dates like Christmas and Easter tend to fill up quickly, so it’s best to put in your leave request as early as possible.
Additionally, some employers may block out busy periods, prohibiting you from booking individual days off or even outright refusing to permit staff absence during certain times.