Don’t you just love that feeling of setting your OOO and jetting off for a long weekend? There’s nothing quite like leaving the office behind, switching off from work and making the most of some of that hard-earned annual leave. Of course, our precious time off never seems to last quite long enough. Before you know it, that four day long weekend is over and you’re back at the desk.
But what if we told you that it didn’t have to be that way? What if we told you there was a way to get longer breaks with the same number of days off?
We know what you’re thinking: What kind of sorcery is this??
Well, it’s not exactly witchcraft – it’s a simple matter of knowing when to book your annual leave. If you are smart about booking your time off in correlation with bank holidays, you can effectively extend each short getaway by a few days without losing any extra days of annual leave.
If you’re hoping to squeeze out a few extra days from each break in 2024, we’ve got you covered. Here is a guide to maximising your annual leave next year.
When are the bank holidays in 2024?
- New Year’s Day – Monday, January 1, 2024
- Good Friday – Friday, March 29th, 2024
- Easter Monday – Monday, April 1st, 2024
- Early May Bank Holiday – Monday, May 6th, 2024
- Spring Bank Holiday – Monday, May 27th, 2024
- Summer Bank Holiday – Monday, August 26th, 2024
- Christmas Day – Wednesday, December 25th, 2024
- Boxing Day – Thursday, December 26th, 2024
When should I book my annual leave in 2024?
Here are the absolute best times to book your holidays next year.
March 25-28
To get a nine day break from Saturday, March 23rd until Sunday, March 31st, all you’ll need to do is book off four days before the Good Friday bank holiday.
Book off March 25, 26, 27 and 28.
April 2-5
This will give you a nine day break that lasts from Saturday, March 30th until Sunday, April 7th, while only using four days of annual leave.
Plus, if you combine this break with the March break, you’ll get a total of 16 days off using only eight days of annual leave.
Book off April 2, 3, 4 and 5.
May 7-10
To get another nine day break in May from Saturday, May 5th until Sunday, May 12th, use just four days of annual leave.
Book off May 7, 8, 9 and 10.
May 28-31
You can get yet another nine day break at the end of May that lasts from Saturday, May 25th until Sunday, June 1st, using just four more days.
Book off May 28, 29, 30 and 31.
August 27-30
To get time off that lasts from Saturday, August 24th until Sunday, September 1st, make use of the August bank holiday and book off August 27, 28, 29 and 30.
December 23, 26,27, 30 and 31
Finally, you can get an extra long break around Christmas and New Year’s. With just five days of annual leave, this break will last from Saturday, December 21st and will last a total of 12 days (including the New Year bank holiday on January 1st, 2024).
Book off December 23, 26, 27, 30 and 31.