How to DOUBLE your annual leave in 2020 – and you’ll only need to book off 26 days holiday
IF you're already thinking ahead to next year's holidays you can double your break and get a whopping 52 days off using just 26 days of annual leave.
You just have to be savvy about taking time off around bank holidays and weekends - so of course this tip from InstantOffices only works if you don't have to work these dates.
And this trick starts this Christmas, so if your annual leave works on a calendar year basis from January to December you'll need to ensure you've got enough days left.
Here's how it works:
December 2019/ January 2020 - take seven days off for a 16-day break
Over the festive period you can have a 16-day break from Saturday December 21 until Sunday January 5 - and you only need to use seven days of annual leave.
When are the Bank Holidays in 2020?
BELOW is the full list of bank holidays next year:
1 January - New Year’s Day
10 April - Good Friday
13 April - Easter Monday
8 May - Early May bank holiday
25 May - Spring bank holiday
31 August - Summer bank holiday
25 December - Christmas Day
28 December - Boxing Day (substitute day)
Bank holidays: That's because we have three bank holidays on Wednesday 25 December (Christmas Day), Thursday 26 December (Boxing Day), and Wednesday 1 January (New Year’s Day).
Weekends: We also have three weekends over this period; 21/22 December, 28/29 December, and 4/5 January.
Time off work: So you only need to take off the following seven days: Monday 23 December, Tuesday 24 December, Friday 27 December, Monday 30 December, Tuesday 31 December, Thursday 2 January, and Friday 3 January.
April 2020 - take five days off for an 11-day break
Over the Easter holidays in April, you can get an 11-day holiday from Thursday 9 April until Sunday 19 April by taking just five days off work.
Bank holidays: That's because we have two bank holidays on Friday 10 April (Good Friday), and Monday 13 April (Easter Monday).
Weekends: You then have two weekends; 11/12 April and 18/19 April.
Time off work: So you only need to take the following five days as annual leave: Thursday 9 April, Tuesday 14 April, Wednesday 15 April, Thursday 16 April, and Friday 17 April.
May 2020 - take ten days off for an 18-day holiday
You can take nearly the whole of May off from Friday 8 May until Monday 25 May by being savvy about the two bank holidays.
Bank holidays: This year, the first bank holiday falls on Friday 8 May (VE Day), while the second falls on Monday 25 May.
Weekends: Then there are three weekends during this period; 9/10 May, 16/17 May, and 23/24 May.
Time off work: So you only need to take the following days off work: Monday 11 May, Tuesday 12 May, Wednesday 13 May, Thursday 14 May, Friday 15 May, Monday 18 May, Tuesday 19 May, Wednesday 20 May, Thursday 21 May, Friday 22 May.
August/September 2020 - take four days off and get nine days holiday
In August, you can have from Saturday 29 August until Sunday 6 September off by taking just four days of annual leave.
Bank holidays: That's because there's a bank holiday during this period, on Monday 31 August.
Weekends: There's also two weekends: 29/30 August and 5/6 September.
Time off work: So you only need to take off; Tuesday 1 September, Wednesday 2 September, Thursday 3 September, Friday 4 September.
More on money
How to take 35 days off in 2020 with just 15 days annual leave.
Alternatively, here's how to get 32 days off work next year by taking just 15 days’ holiday.
And here's why the first May Bank Holiday in 2020 has moved from a Monday to a Friday.