Anish Vij
If you're lucky enough to still have three days of annual leave left before the end of the year, you might be able to get a cheeky 10 days off at Christmas, but only if you play your cards right.
The most wonderful time of the year is upon us and many will be counting down the days to enjoy a well-deserved break with the family.
However, as soon as Xmas is over, it's quite common to get that 'sinking' feeling, knowing you've got to be back in the office soon.
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“Taking prolonged spells away from work using holiday hacks presents the opportunity for employees to recharge their batteries throughout the year without using up as much of their annual allowance,” Zoe Morris, of Nigel Frank, a Tenth Revolution Group company, said.
“Employers should do more to encourage a healthier balance.
“Simple acts such as sending out an e-mail reminder for employees to use their annual leave, or having managers openly discuss the benefits of using holidays, even if it’s just to spend some time at home relaxing, can go a long way towards achieving this, as it communicates to employees that your business values their wellbeing.”
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Now, for those who work Monday to Friday in the UK - and who are entitled to bank holidays as part of their employment contract - there is one easy way to use three days of annual leave, in return for 10 whole days off.
Assuming you finish work on 22 December, all you need to do is book off 27 December, 28 December and 29 December.
By booking the rest of the week off, that means you won't be back in work until Tuesday, 2 January, 2024.
Seems like a pretty good deal to me.
Unless all you'll be doing is spending more time fighting with your family over Monopoly.
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Below are the UK Bank Holidays to look out for next year:
January 1 - New Year’s Day
January 2 – 2nd January (Scotland only)
March 29 - Good Friday
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April 1 - Easter Monday (England and Wales)
May 6 - Early May bank holiday
May 27 - Spring bank holiday
August 5 – Summer bank holiday (Scotland only)
August 26 - Summer bank holiday (England and Wales)
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December 2 – St Andrew’s Day substitute day (Scotland only)
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 26 - Boxing Day