As we head toward the end of the year, many people will be thinking ahead to 2026.
Countless employees up and down the country will see their allotted annual leave refresh on January 1, bringing with it a number of possibilities. Some use time off for family holidays, relaxing with friends, or simply to have some alone time.
However you use your leave is entirely your choice, and a simple trick could turn your standard 28 days of holiday into a whopping 58 days off work in lovely long stretches.
The secret lies in bank holidays and strategic planning. Similar tactics have been used in previous years but, sadly for some, it only applies to those who don’t work weekends, and are given bank holidays off as standard, or do not have to take them as a holiday.
To start, book Friday, January 2, off work to enjoy four consecutive days off following the New Year’s Day bank holiday.
Then, when spring arrives, you can have 14 days off work with just eight days’ leave
You’ll need to take leave on Monday and Tuesday, March 30 and 31, as well as Wednesday and Thursday, April 1 and 2, and from Tuesday to Friday, April 7-10. Easter Sunday falls on April 5, so we have bank holidays on Friday April 3 and Monday April 6.
May’s two bank holidays offer two separate opportunities to extend long weekends into substantial breaks.
To enjoy a some 18 days off in two extended periods, book leave from May 5-8 and then May 26-29.
This will take up eight days of your holiday allowance, and you’ll be off work from Saturday, May 2, until Sunday, May 10, and then again from Saturday, May 23, until Sunday, May 31.
You can then secure nine days off as summer concludes by taking just four days of leave, booking off September 1-4. This will see you off work from Saturday, August 29, and not back in until Monday, September 7.
And when the festive season arrives, you can bag 13 consecutive days off, using only seven days of annual leave. You’ll need to book off December 21, 22, 23 and 24, as well as December 29, 30 and 31.
This will see you away from work from Saturday, December 19, until the New Year.
If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you’ll have different bank holidays to England and Wales.
