HOUSEHOLDS are working harder than ever as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, but we all need a break to avoid burnout.
In fact, you may already be dreaming about heading off on holiday in 2023, or just getting the chance to enjoy some well-earned time away from your job.
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If you’re looking to maximise your days relaxing, there’s a clever hack you can use to ensure you get as much time off as possible.
With a bit of careful planning, savvy workers can bag a whopping 48 days of holiday by taking just 19 days of precious annual leave.
The key for traditional nine-to-five workers with paid holiday allowances is scheduling time off around the bank holiday weekends, as well as Easter and Christmas.
This is according to Unearth PR which came up with this clever ruse.
Brits are set to get an extra bank holiday next year to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles.
This will fall on May 8, and brings the total number of bank holidays to nine.
Here’s how to hack your holidays in 2023.
Easter
Easter falls in early April, with Good Friday on April 7 and Easter Monday on April 10.
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If you book four days of annual leave on April 3, 4, 5 and 6, you will be able to bag 10 days off, including the weekend.
Get 10 days off by taking just four days of annual leave.
May
In May, it’s all about taking advantage of the bank holidays.
The first one falls on Monday, May 1, and the bonus one for the Coronation is on May 8.
So if you use four days of annual leave to take off May 2, 3, 4 and 5, you’ll get 10 days out of the office in a row (including two weekends).
Book four days of holiday and get 10 days off.
End of May / early June
The same principle applies to the late May bank holiday which falls on Monday, May 29.
If you take four days off work, from Tuesday, May 30, through to Friday, June 2, you can get another nine consecutive days of holiday.
Bag nine days of holiday by using just four days of allowance.
End of August / early September
Employees who take four days off work on August 29, 30, 31 and September 1, will get another nine days of paid leave thanks to the bank holiday which falls on Monday, August 28.
Bag nine days out of the office by taking just four days of annual leave.
December
In December, there are two bank holidays.
These fall on Monday, December 25 (Christmas Day), and Tuesday, December 26 (Boxing Day).
By booking just three days off after this, December 27, 28 and 29, you can get yourself a huge 10 days off work, as Monday, January 1, will also be a holiday.
This gives you a great opportunity to make the most of the festive season.
Book three days’ holiday and get 10 days off the job.
What are my rights to time off?
While you may want to rush to take advantage of this hack, you need to be aware your boss doesn’t have to agree to your holiday request.
Sarah Loates, chartered human resources professional, and founder of Derby-based Loates HR Consultancy, said: “Many workers wrongly believe they can take annual leave whenever they want, but it is down to the employer to agree to any holiday request.”
The key here is to get your annual leave dates approved by your workplace before booking a holiday, and crucially, before spending any cash.
Sarah points out that for the above hack to work, you need to ensure you’re not contracted to work on bank holidays or weekends.
“You need to check the contract you signed when you began your job,” Sarah told The Sun.
Most employees who work a five-day week must get at least 28 days’ paid annual leave a year. This is the equivalent of 5.6 weeks of holiday.
“Some employers may provide additional contractual holiday on top of the statutory annual leave,” said Sarah.
Crucially, while an employer can choose to include bank holidays as part of a worker’s statutory annual leave, there is no requirement to give bank holidays as paid leave.
Sarah has a few more tips when it comes to having time off work.
“You may not be aware that if you get poorly, you may be able to cancel your annual leave, take sick leave, and re-schedule your annual leave,” said Sarah.
“You need to let your employer know you are ill and follow your employer’s sickness and holiday rules.
“Bear in mind that if you are able to cancel your annual leave, you will only receive whatever sick pay you are entitled to contractually.
“That said, this does mean you can take your annual leave at a later date when you’re feeling better.”
As an employee, you may also be keen to know whether you can carry the holiday forward.
“The minimum four weeks leave cannot be carried forward, nor can your employer pay you for any unused entitlement,” said Sarah.
“But your contract may allow you to carry forward the remaining 1.6 weeks of additional leave, so check this with your employer.”
