There’s one person in every office who’s totally on it when it comes to booking holidays. Come the 2nd of January, they’ll be ready to earmark their days off for the whole year so they can make the most of their annual leave. Some of us, however, aren’t quite so hot when it comes to forward planning.

If you haven’t thought about your Christmas break yet, it’s not too late to get smart and make the most of your leave days. In fact, by booking off just four days you can enjoy a supersize 11-day holiday over the Christmas and New Year period.

Because Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a weekend this year, we’re being given the following Monday and Tuesday in lieu: 27th and 28th December. And because New Year’s Day falls on a Saturday, we’re being given 3rd January as a bank holiday instead.

This means that by booking off Friday 24th December, Wednesday 29th December, Thursday 30th December and Friday 31st December, you’ll be able to put on your OOO on 23rd December and not return to work until 4th January. Heaven!

It goes without saying that taking the annual leave you’re entitled to is incredibly beneficial to your mental health and general wellbeing. Sick day guilt is all too real as well, but it’s important to listen to your body and take time off when you need it.

A new survey by Tombola has found that 44% of UK workers don’t use up all of their annual leave. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter put in at least one week of unpaid work every year, meaning they’re adding to their stress levels for no financial gain.

With this in mind, if you feel like getting ahead for next year, here’s how to make the most of your annual leave in 2022.

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