Book holiday clever!
Peering out at a gloomy and very foggy day, it got us at Park having a conversation about holiday’s... Carly has just returned from 2 weeks in India and is dreaming of the sun, white sand and all of the “niceness” that holidays and time out brings….
Reading an article today in Undercover Recruiter, it appears that I am not alone in my thoughts of holiday’s on the brain… So it got me thinking about the best way to maximise your annual holiday allowance.
Now some of you might already know what your holiday allowance is for this year, or maybe you’ve accrued a few extra days thanks to length of service. For many it’s just the basic 25 days a year and it seems, for some Brits, it’s still not enough. Holiday rental company Optima Villas asked 10,000 Brits whether they were happy with their holiday allowance at work and over a quarter of them said no AND blamed the lack of holiday for their lack of productivity. Sadly many employers are unlikely to give you as much holiday as you want – unless you’re Richard Branson of course, who gives his staff the freedom to book as much leave as they want in return for more productivity at work. So how can you get the most out of your basic holiday allowance or make it worth your while to be at work?
So my advice would be to Book clever...
This year there are a number of Bank Holidays that work in your favour and because I’m feeling generous, I’ve done the maths so you don’t have to.
Easter is the biggest loophole this year as you can enjoy 18 days off while only using 9 days holiday. But the fun doesn’t stop there.
In fact, you can get 55 days off work this year (56 for us in Jersey) (based on having 25 days holiday) and here is how:
Easter 2017:
Friday April 14 – Good Friday
Monday April 17 – Easter Monday
Monday May 1 – Early May Bank Holiday
Tuesday 9th May (for us in Jersey) - Liberation day
If Thursday, April 13 is your last day in work then you book time off until Tuesday, May 2, you will only be using 9 days of holiday for 18 days off work in total.
Days off work: 18 (19 for us in Jersey)
Spring Bank Holiday:
Monday May 29
As the bank holiday is a Monday, you can use 4 days holiday to book the rest of the week off. Including both weekends either side of this bank holiday, you will have 9 days off in a row.
Days off work: 9
Summer Bank Holiday:
Monday August 28 Exactly the same as with the May Bank Holiday. Book 4 days off and get 9 off in total.
Days off work: 9
Christmas 2017
December 25 (Monday) – Christmas Day
December 26 (Tuesday) – Boxing Day
Because of how Christmas falls this year, you’ll be able to book another 10 days off while using just 3 days leave allowance. Christmas Day will be on a Monday, followed by Boxing Day on the Tuesday – another bank holiday.
There will then be 3 work days – the 3 you will book from December 27 to 29 – and then a weekend and another bank holiday – New Year’s Day.
Days off work: 10 - Holiday days remaining: 5
This still gives you an entire working week to book off whenever you want.
Now before you get excited and reach for your holiday request form, most companies work on a first-come, first-served basis so if all you can think about is fun in the sun then you better hope your colleagues aren’t reading this and have submitted their holiday requests before you!
Happy Holidays!