25 August 2021
Read Time: 4.0 mins
Long weekend not cutting it? Feel guilty taking time off? Forget your holiday scheduling blues and turn over a new leaf in 2022 – time off is so important to rest and recharge so we can ultimately bring our best selves to work in the long run. Check out these key dates that will help boost your annual leave allocation – turning 22 days off into 55 by making the most of your weekends and public holidays! Go on, you deserve it!
December 2021/January 2022
Book three days leave for 10 days off
Welcome to the highlight of the year - because Christmas and New Year’s Day falls on a weekend this year, we’re given three public holidays during the week instead! Huzzah! Make the most of the Chrissy and New Year by booking three days of annual leave in the week that follows the silly season.
Holiday from:
Saturday, December 25 – Monday, January 3
Book these dates:
Wednesday, December 29
Thursday, December 30
Friday, December 31
January 2022
Book four days leave for nine days off
Book leave either side of the 26 January public holiday and you’ll have an extended summer holiday that feels like festive season is kicking on!
Holiday from:
Saturday, January 22 – Sunday, January 30
Book these dates:
Monday, January 24
Tuesday, January 25
Thursday, January 27
Friday, January 28
April 2022
Book eight days leave for 17 days off
Still time to catch the autumn warmth, Easter (15, 16 and 17 April) and Anzac Day (25 April) is your chance to take one big break before the mid-year feels take hold! Schedule 8 days off and you’ll end up with over a fortnight’s holiday – aka time to really relax. Book early to secure your fave holiday spots – maybe it’s a camping trip by the sea or to the mountains? A trip to New Zealand, or, with any luck, maybe Bali or beyond!
Holiday from:
Friday, April 15 – Monday, May 2
Book these dates:
Tuesday, April 19
Wednesday, April 20
Thursday, April 21
Friday, April 22
Tuesday, April 26
Wednesday, April 27
Thursday, April 28
Friday, April 29
Expert tip: You can still enjoy an 11-day holiday by coming back to work after Anzac Day.
June 2022
Book four days leave for nine-days off
(This one goes for all states except QLD and WA)
Book annual leave on the days following the Queen’s Birthday public holiday (13 June). Imagine where you could curl up by the fire in wine country in the Barossa, Yarra Valley or Hunter, or hit the slopes in Thredbo!
Holiday from:
Saturday, June 11 – Sunday, June 20
Book these dates:
Tuesday, June 14
Wednesday, June 15
Thursday, June 16
Friday, June 17
Note: For QLD apply this strategy to 3 October and WA, 26 September.
December 2022/January 2023
Book three days leave for 10 days off
What! It's Christmas again? Cheers to the epic year that 2022 was! Those holidays you took are what got you through, and they’d been long overdue, we know! Because Christmas and New Year’s lands on a weekend, we’re given the public holidays during the week this year again. Woo!
Holiday from:
Saturday, December 24 – Monday, January 2
Book these dates:
Wednesday, December 28
Thursday, December 29
Friday, December 30
Each state and territory may have additional public holidays that you can make the most of – do a quick search and mark those local public holidays in your diary now.
Melbournians can make the most of the Melbourne Cup public holiday (1 November) or the AFL Grand Final Friday holiday (30 September) by taking 4 days annual leave for yet another nine-day break for each by starting the weekend before for public holiday and stretching into the weekend after. Kapeesh?
So, there you have it – a 101 crash course into the art of Holiday Hacking! For the 9-5 Monday to Friday worker, it’s all about maximising your weekends and booking ahead to get the most out of those annual public holidays – turning those long weekends into more than an extended trip to Bunnings!
For the shift workers, freelancers, and contractors out there – take this same ethos to making the most of your time off and the world is your oyster!
Check out our DEALS to book in a holiday for 2022 or sooner!
