How to use your annual leave in 2024, and make the most of Ireland’s Bank Holidays, to get 70 days off work

JOE

You can now start mapping out your time off work over the next year.

The January blues have fully set in for many, but there is hope on the horizon. By being clever, and mapping out your annual leave entitlement, you could end up with up to 70 days away from work.

Of course, this depends on your own personal annual leave entitlement. In theory, however, someone with 29 days of annual leave could end up with 70 days away from work by booking certain dates off work.

Here is how to be savvy and maximise your annual leave to get as much time away from work as possible. Simply take holiday days from work on the following dates.

How can I use my annual leave in 2024 to get 70 days off work?

In February, St Brigid’s Day will be observed on Monday, February 5. So, if you take annual leave on February 6, 7, 8 and 9, you will get nine days off work.

In March, St Patrick’s Day falls on Sunday, March 17. As St Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, the Bank Holiday will be observed on Monday, March 18.

This means that if you book annual leave for Tuesday, March 19 to Friday, March, 22nd, you will end up with nine days of annual leave.

Easter Sunday is on March 31, with the Bank Holiday on Monday, April 1. Once again, this means that you can get nine days off work if you book four annual leave days during that week – April 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Good Friday is not a public holiday, but some employers and schools close on this day. If your employer gives you Good Friday off, you can get 10 days of annual leave off by taking annual leave on the above four dates.

There is also potential to combine the St Patrick’s Day Bank Holiday and Easter Bank Holidays for an even longer period away from work.

If you take annual leave on March 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29, you will get 18 days off work for the price of nine days of annual leave.

(If your employer gives you Good Friday off, you would only use eight days of annual leave in this period).

How can I maximise my annual leave in 2024?

In May, the Bank Holiday is on May 6, So, if you take annual leave on May 7, 8, 9, and 10, you will get nine days by using four days of annual leave.

The same applies for June, with the Bank Holiday on Monday, June 3. If you take June 4, 5, 6, and 7 off work, you will get nine days off work by using four days of annual leave.

In August, you can, again, get nine days off work for the price of four annual leave days – to do so, take August 6, 7, 8, and 9 off work. The August Bank Holiday is on Monday, August 1.

In October, the Bank Holiday is on Monday the 28th. To get nine days off work, take October 29, 30, 31, and November 1 off work.

For the final two Bank Holidays of the year and the first of 2025, you can get 16 days off work by taking seven days of annual leave.

Christmas Day is on Wednesday, December 25, with St Stephen’s Day the following day and New Year’s Day is on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

If you take December 23, 24, 27, 30 and 31 – as well as January 2, and 3, you will get 16 days off work for the price of seven days annual leave.

This article details 29 days to take off work in 2024 (and two in 2025) to give you a whopping 70 days off work.

Full-time employees in Ireland are entitled to 4 weeks of annual leave – which equates to 20 days. Your employer may give you more time off. As such, you should plan out your annual leave based on the time off afforded to you.

There is, in theory, potential to use your annual leave to get as many as 70 days away from work over the next year.