New data has revealed how people can get a whopping two months off of work in 2025, using only 27 days of annual leave - and it's so clever!
There might be plenty of ‘unexpected joys’ when returning to work after caring for kids and we know that working parents are brilliant additions to the workplace, but, let's be honest, we'd all like a little more time off.
Whether you want some more time away from work so you can rest, relax, and go on holidays, or you'd like to spend some more time at home with your kids just relaxing, new research from travel booking company Omio has revealed how parents can make the most of their annual leave in 2025 and get a whopping 60 days off using just 27 days of their paid leave.
According to Omio, it's all about utilising Bank Holidays. So, breaking down the year into manageable chunks, these are the days you're going to want to mark in your calendar;
To get the most out of the Easter break while kids are off of school, you can enjoy 17 days off work by using only eight days annual leave. The experts at Omio explain, "With Good Friday falling on April 18 and Easter Monday being on April 21, Brits can book the four days either side of these Bank Holiday dates to maximise their time off and enjoy 17 days off work."
Just one month later, parents can have two-and-a-half weeks off in May again using only eight days of annual leave. "With two Bank Holidays falling in May, Brits can be extra savvy and book 18 days off whilst only using eight days of their annual leave allowance," the experts say.
"The first Bank Holiday is on Monday 5 May, meaning if Brits take the four days following this off, they can enjoy nine days off. Furthermore, if they book off the four days after the later May Bank Holiday (Monday 26 May) they will be able to enjoy another nine days off work, giving them a total of two-and-a-half weeks off in just one month, using limited annual leave."
Then come the school summer holidays. "If Brits tag four days annual leave onto the August Bank Holiday weekend (Monday 25 August 2025), they’ll be able to enjoy nine days off and only have to use four days worth of annual leave, giving them the opportunity to enjoy the last of summer with no worries of work."
As 2025 comes to a close, parents can spend more than two weeks off of work using just seven days of annual leave. "With Christmas Day falling on a Thursday in 2025, Brits will need to use only seven days annual leave to get 16 whole days off to celebrate the festive season," Omio says.
"The dates they will need to book off to enjoy this time off over the Christmas period will be the 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31 and the 2 January 2026, maximising Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day to generate longer time off work."
The calendar below shows the Bank Holidays in red and the days to book off in green for a super clear understanding of when you'll want to book time off of work.
The insight should offer a little bit of solace for working parents who currently have to struggle through the motherhood penalty that means working mothers earned 43% less than fathers in 2023. There's also the lack of parental leave that's impacting nearly half of parents' decision to start a family, and, of course, the lack of affordable childcare that's left the average childcare costs in the UK to rise substantially.
