Booking annual leave? How to get 55+ days off!

If you work full time, you’ll have at least 28 days of annual leave minimum. If you’re lucky enough to get a bit more then it’s happy days for you! But what if I told you that you could make those days stretch to over 55 days if you think smart and book early? Now you’re listening, right?

I know I’m not alone in thinking of ways to utilise my annual leave so that I can make the most out of my holidays. There's nothing worse than wanting to take a few days off only to find that you don’t have enough days left. It’s even worse when you have enough holiday but you didn’t give yourself enough time to book it off and organise your trip! Let’s face it, we’ve all decided (at least once) that we wanted to go somewhere last minute and agreed to plans without thinking AND THEN told ourselves that we’ll deal with work later... then as the time gets closer you find yourself asking “Do I really need this job?” I’ll answer that for you... Yes, yes you really do!

There must be a better way to get the most from your Annual Leave without jeopardising your job and putting in risky last-minute requests for annual leave AFTER you’ve booked your flights (I know some of you like living on the edge… my heart could never!). Well, there is! You just have to time it right and work around days you’ll already get off, such as weekends and Bank Holidays (our best friends!) and you’ll find the whole booking-off process a lot easier to manage.

I think it’s sometimes better to book the time off in advance and then figure out what holiday you want at a later date. You don’t always have to have something planned at the time, but knowing you have that period off will be a motivator! At least that way you know it’s already approved because honestly, no-one has time for the stress of waiting for work to approve your leave (because you’re going away regardless!) and life can really be a lot simpler with better planning. Besides, if you don’t figure out what you want to do you can always take it back nearer the time if plans change. It’s far easier to take back your annual leave and use it another time (I’ve postponed my leave many times because plans have fallen through) than attempt to get it authorised last minute. Better safe than sorry!

Now, I haven’t forgotten about those of you who work part-time or have childcare to worry about! Nor have I forgotten about those of you who work in places that NEVER close (I know I know… It sucks!). There are still ways around it, you just have to really be on job with your planning and make sure you get in there first! Those of you with children and have to work around their school/ childcare schedule, make sure you plan in advance! Those holiday dates are going to be booked off the quickest and you want enough time to plan so you’re not shelling out extra money for the holiday! I’d advise that you try and book off your whole year (or half) from the start. This way you can look for childcare in advance should you need it and you won’t get in trouble with the law! If you’re someone who works in retail/healthcare/fitness etc and you don’t get bank holidays or weekends, then you have to be tactical. Try and swap shifts (and take on others) or ask for alternate weekends. If there’s a time you know you want off, make sure you book it off first or request for unpaid days. Of course, some places may not be as flexible, however, I’ve put together a few tips to help:

Notting Hill Carnival - Day 2 w/ Blogger Afromermaid

If your work allows it, negotiate extra days off by requesting unpaid leave. If it’s an odd day off, it’s better that you book it off unpaid so that you keep that paid holiday for when you take more in one go.
Work the system: If you are able to accrue holiday, work more hours when you can so that you benefit with extra annual leave. E.g. pick up more shifts during winter and don’t take a paid holiday and you’ll have accrued a few extra days for summer.
If you know you need certain periods off, make it clear from the start (this is particularly useful for those of you with childcare commitments or when you’re starting a new job and have a trip already planned). If you’re honest from the start, it may make booking off that time a bit easier. I always told my work to never put me on shift over carnival weekend because I WILL be shaking leg so do not expect me at work thank-you very much. It was mostly a joke, however, I ALWAYS got it off. ‘Henjoyment!
Pick up shifts nearer the time so that you’re in the good books - This will give them a reason to sympathise with you more.
If you are flexible at work and can switch around your days, try and make it work in your benefit: I know some people who work a few days on and a few days off. If you REALLY want that holiday, it may be better to work back to back so that you can double up on your days off and turn it into a trip!

Now for the rest of you, here are the dates you need to maximise your annual leave in 2019

How to turn 25 days off into 55 days (including weekends)

*drum roll*

APRIL 2019: With Good Friday and Easter Monday falling on the 19th and 22nd of April, you can take eight days of annual leave to have sixteen days off in a row. To enjoy this you need to book off the 15th-18th April and the 23rd- 26th meaning that you will be off from the 13th-28th April! Not bad!

MAY 2019: There are two bank holidays in May; the 6th and the 27th. If you wanted to maximise on this, you could book off eight days of annual leave and have eighteen days off by booking the 7th-10th and the 28th-31st, meaning your leave will start on the 4th-12th then return to work before getting time off again from the 25th - 2nd June. Whew! If you wanted something a little shorter, by booking off the four days (7th-10th) at the start, you’ll still manage to get an impressive nine days straight!

AUGUST 2019: There is a bank holiday on the 26th of August so if you use four days of annual leave (27th-30th), you’ll bag yourself nine days in a row (24th-1st September!). This is perfect for those of you who hit the Notting Hill Carnival (because why not!?) and still leaves you with plenty of days to recover!

DECEMBER 2019: The Christmas period! Make sure you book this one off first as you can get twelve days in a row for five days of annual leave. The date’s to remember to book off are the 23rd, 24th, 27th 30th and 31st and you’ll enjoy time off from the 21st- 1st January thanks to Christmas day, Boxing day and New Years!

Can you tell I like Carnival? Shout Out Red Bull for hosting me on day 1!

Even with all these days off, you’ll still be left with some annual leave (I know right!?) which you can use for a birthday weekend or a special occasion. If you work your days around a weekend, you can make those days stretch even more!

** Tip: Book trips that stretch over the weekend and you’ll find that your flights are cheaper. When you book during the week only, most systems will categorise this as a business trip and boost up the flight prices slightly as it’s likely that you’ll have to go regardless. When it falls over a weekend, it gets classified as a leisure trip.

Now you have all this knowledge, there’s no reason for you not to use your hard-earned cash and enjoy a relaxing time off work! Whether it’s a trip abroad or just extra days to rest at home, there’s nothing better than getting extra time off at no extra cost! I know that many people won’t manage to book off all that time, but if you plan to take a trip in any of the Bank Holiday periods, it’s worth a shot! Don’t say I don’t hook you up!

Liz x

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