Looking to plan ahead for your 2020 annual leave?
by Natasha Christou Digital Marketing ConsultantAs the end
of the holiday year approaches, many UK workers are gearing up for the long
pre-Christmas stint without any additional days off left. Taking one or two
longer breaks back in the early summer months might have seemed like a good
idea at the time, but if it has left you without the option of any three-day
weekends, (essential for ticking off your entire Christmas shopping list in one
go), then you might want to be a bit more tactical with how you spend your
annual leave next year.
Whether you
crave a city break to attend theatres in London, or if you prefer a rural
retreat sampling a selection of hotels in Ambleside, Lake
District, you can fit a lot in to the year beyond your 9–5 routine. Here’s
how!
How does the 2020 calendar
look?
We all know
how a certain few colleagues can develop a tendency to become rather
competitive when it comes to beating the crowds and getting their holidays in
well ahead of time — find out when your workplace holiday year begins and make
sure to get your days submitted ahead of time.
We all look
forward to the first of the year’s bank holidays, and in 2020, take your
holidays tactically and you could enjoy a supersized Easter break. Good Friday
is the 10th of April next year, and Easter Monday falls on the 13th.
So, if you book from the 6th–9th of April off, then the
14th–17th, including weekends you’ll have amounted a
hefty 16 consecutive days of ‘out of office’ auto-replies. As we approach May,
you’ll have another opportunity to make the most of your annual leave. Usually,
the earliest holiday would fall on a Monday but in 2020, May Day will be a
Friday 8th May. So, get your holiday request in for the 4th–7th
May and you’ll have eight days of relaxation from 2nd–10th
to enjoy. This could be the perfect time to enjoy your first city break or
rural retreat of the year.
The second
May bank holiday falls on the 25th May, so if you’re already keen to
put your ‘out of office’ on again, then you’ll want to book from the 26th–29th
May off, giving you the 23rd–31st May as holiday. So far,
that’s 34 days off including weekends, using only 16 days of your annual leave.
While the
August bank holiday always feels ever so slightly bittersweet, knowing that
it’s the last one before Christmas. So, it is a great opportunity to squeeze
one last getaway in! It falls on Monday 31st August in 2020, so take
the 1st–4th off and book your last-minute escape from the
29th August–6th September — before it gets into hat and
scarf season! When the festivities do begin, the December countdown always
feels like a long slog amid the rush of Christmas shopping. When it’s finally
time for the Christmas office shutdown to begin and if you’ve got a couple of
days leave to spare, then consider booking the 21st–24th
December off, as well as 29th–1st January. That way,
you’ll enjoy a leisurely two weeks off to recoup after the fun of the festive
season. Some offices do already account for Christmas, giving employees time
off in between, but if you’ve got any leave left to take then this is the time
to use it!
Schedule ahead of time!
Most UK
employees are entitled to 25 days of annual leave, as well as bank holidays. Over
a five-day working week, this means you could potentially take five weeks off
work. However, if you plan ahead and factor in any prior commitments — for
example, if you already know you’re attending three of your friends weddings in
2020, then take this into account before you use up the remainder of your
holiday allocation.
Preparing
ahead of time can prove beneficial when it comes to maximising your annual
leave. Having something to look forward to is always a good feeling, and by
getting your diary ready for the new holiday year, you will know how to
prepare.
However you
use your time out of the office, make it go the extra mile in 2020 by following
this tactical guide! The only thing we can’t provide a solution for is the
dreaded return — but think of how refreshed you’ll feel after all those long days
away!
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Created on Dec 2nd 2019 07:54. Viewed 422 times.