How To Maximise Annual Leave in 2025
Annual leave is designed to enable us to disconnect from work and do whatever it is that makes us happy and refreshed so we feel our best outside of and in work. That disconnect offers individuals a new perspective, an opportunity to reduce stress and, as a result, prevents burnout, enhances wellbeing, builds resilience and fosters an engaged, thriving workplace.
So, as the people that help people thrive, it’s only right that we give you the inside knowledge to maximise your annual leave in 2025. After all, planning your annual leave in advance is the most effective way to ensure you give yourself the best chance of a healthy work/life balance and make 2025 your year to thrive further!
With our tips, you could more than double your annual leave next year… How does 59 days off sound?
2025 UK bank holiday dates
Across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, there are 13 bank holidays in total next year.
How to get the most out of annual leave in 2025?
The trick to maximising your annual leave is ‘leave stacking’ – booking your annual leave around a weekend or bank holiday (or multiple) to give you a longer period of time off work. It’s super simple! The tricky bit is being organised and planning your annual leave in advance. Also, this of course only applies to people that only work on weekdays. Weekend workers – we salute you!
For you Monday – Friday workers, here are our hacks to help you stretch your annual leave further and give you more opportunities to de-stress, disconnect and, ultimately, thrive in 2025! Just to say, our tips are specifically based on the English and Welsh bank holidays, but for those of you in Scotland and Northern Ireland, you can easily adopt the same approach for your bank holidays too.
Wednesday 1 January – Sunday 5 January
Say hello to January boosts in 2025! By booking just two days off at the beginning of the month, you can enjoy five full days off work — what a great way to kick-start the new year, right? With travel offers and discounted weekend breaks particularly popular at this time; it’s a brilliant opportunity to have a mini escape before fully diving back into reality. Alternatively, you can jump into a new fitness regime and avoid the pre- and post-work madness at the gym (for a little while, at least!).
Beat The January Blues
Saturday 12 April – 27 April
April is a brilliant month for bank holidays, with two either side of the Easter weekend. So, what better time to make your annual leave work extra hard for you? If you book Monday 14 – Thursday 17 April, and then Tuesday 22 – Friday 25 April, you can enjoy 16 days off by only taking eight days of annual leave. Don’t mind if we do!
Spring Into Easter
Saturday 3 May – Monday 11 May / Saturday 24 May – Sunday 1 June
With May also having two bank holidays, you can continue to maximise your annual leave. Just book Tuesday 6 – 9 May and Tuesday 27 – 30 May to get 18 days off work in total – nine days off around each bank holiday. Lovely stuff! With the warmer weather starting to settle in at this stage, this is a great opportunity to get outside, explore nature and boost your wellbeing without using up loads of your annual leave.
May Getaway
Saturday 23 August – Sunday 31 August
Hello sunshine! We’re all treated to a summer bank holiday in August (at the end of the month, for those of us in England, Wales and Northern Ireland), so there’s another chance to be smart with your annual leave. By booking Tuesday 26 – Friday 29 August, you can enjoy nine days off work for just four days of annual leave.
Summer Fun In August
Saturday 20 December – 1 January 2026
To round things off, we have the Christmas period which presents us (see what we did there? 🎁) with yet more ways to boost our annual leave. We have three bank holidays to work with here – with the Christmas Day and Boxing Day bank holidays alongside New Year’s Day on 1 January 2026. So, by simply booking six days off in total (22 – 24 December and 29 – 31 December) you can enjoy 13 days off work – almost two weeks!
Festive Double-Up
Your 2025 holiday boost run-down
Want to make work/life balance a priority in 2025? Of course you do! Here’s a reminder of the 28 days to book off to get more than double your annual leave next year (59 days off in consecutive blocks):
Wednesday 1 January – Sunday 5 January
Saturday 12 April – 27 April
Saturday 3 May – Monday 11 May / Saturday 24 May – Sunday 1 June
Saturday 23 August – Sunday 31 August
Saturday 20 December – 1 January 2026
Here at Boostworks, we’re experts in people and build the tools that lift people up, from meaningful rewards and recognition to valuable benefits and wellbeing support.
For more advice on how HR pros, employees and employers can thrive, check out our blog where we share our insights and tips built up from over 22 years of experience.
