2022: how to maximise the bank holidays this year for the most days off work

Pirates, want to maximise your annual leave in 2022?

We've done the leg work for you so that if you book off the right days (before your colleagues do) you can enjoy 62 days off work using only 26 days annual leave 37 days off using only 14 days annual leave (page updated as we're almost into May now).

Of course not everyone gets so many days off, so even if you can only book some of these, you'll still be winning.

Get your calendars out and let's goooo.

Details

You can maximise your time away from the office by combining Bank Holidays with weekends.

January: Take four days off to get nine

Monday the 3rd is a bank holiday. If you take off the four days afterwards (4-7 January), you'll get nine days off in a row using only four days annual leave (1-9 January off)

February: None

March: None

April: Take eight days off to get 16

If you take off the four days before Good Friday Bank Holiday (11-14 April) and the four days after Easter Monday Bank Holiday (19-22 April) you can have 16 days off in a row using only eight days annual leave (9-24 April off)

May: Take four days off to get nine

Monday the 2nd is a bank holiday. If you take off the four days afterwards (3-6 May), you'll get nine days off in a row using only four days annual leave (30 April-8 May)

June: Take three days off to get nine

June this year is special - thanks to the Queen, there is a bonus bank holiday to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. The powers that be also moved the late Spring Bank Holiday to create a 4-day weekend

So, Thursday-Friday 2-3 June are bank holidays. Book off the three days before (30-31 May and 1 June) and you'll have nine days off in a row using only three days annual leave (28 May-5 June)

July: None

August: Take four days off to get nine

Monday the 29th is a bank holiday. If you take off the four days afterwards (30 August-2 September), you'll get nine days off in a row using only four days annual leave (27 August-4 September)

September: None

October: None

November: None

December: Take three days off to get 10

The festive period certainly provides the most bang for your buck

Christmas Day is Sunday 25th December and Boxing Day is Monday 26th December, however, as Christmas Day is on a weekend, 26th-27th December are the bank holidays. New Year's Day Bank Holiday is Monday 2nd January (yes, we dipped into 2023 but it won't affect your 2022 days off)

If you book off the three days in between (28-30 December), you can get a whopping 10 days off in a row (24 December-2 January)

So there we go pirates, 37 days off using only 14 days annual leave.