Trick to turn 28 days holiday into 58 days off in 2026 | UK | News
As we approach the end of the year, many people will be thinking about 2026.
Countless employees across the country will see their allocated annual leave renewed on January 1, bringing with it a host of possibilities. Some use their leave for family holidays, relaxing with friends, or just spending some alone time.
It’s entirely your choice how you use your leave, and one simple trick can turn your standard 28 days of vacation into a whopping 58 days of work leave for very long periods of time.
The secret lies in public holidays and strategic planning. Similar tactics have been used in previous years but unfortunately for some this only applies to those who do not work weekends and are given bank holidays as standard or do not have to use them as holidays.
To start, take Friday, January 2, off work to get four consecutive days off following the New Year’s Day bank holiday.
Then when spring comes you can get 14 days off with only eight days off.
You will need to take leave Monday and Tuesday, March 30 and 31, Wednesday and Thursday, April 1 and 2, and Tuesday through Friday, April 7-10. Easter Sunday falls on 5 April, so we have public holidays on Friday 3 April and Monday 6 April.
May’s two public holidays provide two separate opportunities to extend long weekends into essential breaks.
To benefit from approximately 18 days of leave over two long periods, book leave for May 5-8 and then May 26-29.
This will take eight days of your holiday allowance and you will be off work from Saturday 2 May to Sunday 10 May and then from Saturday 23 May to Sunday 31 May.
Then, by booking for September 1-4, you can get just four days off and nine days off when summer ends. This will allow you to be off work from Saturday 29 August and not return until Monday 7 September.
And come the festive season, you can take 13 consecutive days off using just seven days of annual leave. You will need to make reservations for 21, 22, 23 and 24 December and 29, 30 and 31 December.
This will keep you away from work from Saturday, December 19th until New Year’s Eve.
If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, your bank holidays will be different to those in England and Wales.
