Clever hacks to maximising holidays with minimal days off work

It’s a simple trick to get the most out of your holidays next year. All it takes is a few strategically booked leave days and you’ll have a pretty substantial holiday.

Excellent news, everyone: the calendar gods are good to us in 2019.

By sheer happy accident, next year’s public holidays land in such a way that we only need a few strategic annual leave days here and there to hack our way into some pretty substantial holiday time.

We’re particularly lucky in April, when Easter 2019 falls right before the Anzac Day public holiday — creating the perfect opportunity for an extra-long stretch of time off work.

Travel insurer InsureandGo has pulled out the 2019 calendar and worked out the smartest ways to take advantage of next year’s public holidays.

And it found if you play your cards right, you could pack in at least two domestic holidays and three international trips next year, using only 17 days from your annual leave bank.

“By thinking ahead and planning when to take annual leave, it can be the difference between a few days off here and there, and taking a longer holiday with minimal time off work,” InsureandGo spokesman Jonathan Etkind said.

Here are the best hacks InsureandGo found for 2019, with added tricks for states with extra public holidays.

The 10-day Australia Day hack: Turn five days off into 10

The Australia Day public holiday will fall on Monday, January 28 in all states. If you combine the public holiday with two weekends, and take five days of annual leave, you could blag your way into 10 days off — which is perfect for somewhere close overseas.

The four-day weekend hack: Turn one day off into four

Look out for Labour Day and the Queen’s Birthday public holidays in your state, which fall on Mondays. Take the previous Friday off, and you’ve got yourself a four-day weekend. Simple.

The 10-day Easter holiday hack: Turn three days off into 10

Easter is Friday, April 19 to Monday, April 22 in all states. Anzac Day lands two days later, on Thursday, April 25.

With two public holidays in one week, you can extend your holiday to 10 days — from Friday, April 18 to Sunday, April 28 inclusive — just by taking three days of annual leave.

School holidays are on during this time, so if you want to escape the crowds and head overseas, that’s plenty of time to do it.

The 18-day April-May holiday hack: Turn eight days off into 18 (QLD and NT)

This is an Easter bonus for people in Queensland and the Northern Territory, who have been spoiled with public holidays on Monday, May 6 (Labour Day in Queensland and May Day in the NT).

A few more days off can stretch their 10-day Easter break even longer, turning eight days of annual leave into an 18-day holiday.

The 17-day May-June holiday hack: Turn nine days off into 17 (ACT)

People in the Australian Capital Territory celebrate Reconciliation Day public holiday on Monday, May 27. Then they have the Queen’s Birthday on Monday, June 10.

If they take just nine days off, they can have a 17-day holiday from Saturday, May 25 to Monday, June 10 inclusive.

That’s almost two days off for every one annual leave day.

The midweek public holiday hack

When public holidays fall midweek, take annual leave on the days before or after, combine it with the weekend, and take a mini getaway.

For example, Victorians can take Monday, November 4 off work — right before Melbourne Cup Day — to enjoy a four-day weekend.

Brisbane residents can take two days of annual leave before or after Ekka Day on Wednesday, August 14 to enjoy a five-day holiday.

For those that have more annual leave to spare, why not take all four days off to have a nine-day break in total.

The 2019 Christmas holiday hack: Turn seven days off into 17

This is one for all Australians. Next year, take seven days of annual leave and you can give yourself a 17-day festive holiday from Friday, December 20 to Monday, January 6.

Christmas Day is a Wednesday next year, so if you can get out of working on the Monday or the Tuesday — and maybe even the previous Friday — you can make the most of it.

This holiday also takes advantage of Boxing Day falling on a Thursday and New Year’s Day the following Wednesday.

2019 PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

National

Tuesday, January 1: New Year’s Day

Monday, January 28: Australia Day

Friday, April 19: Good Friday

Monday, April 22: Easter Monday

Thursday, April 25: Anzac Day

Wednesday, December 25: Christmas Day

Thursday, December 26: Boxing Day

NSW

Monday, June 10: Queen’s Birthday

Monday, October 7: Labour Day

Victoria

Monday, March 11: Labour Day

Monday, June 10: Queen’s Birthday

Friday, September 27: Friday before AFL Grand Final

Tuesday, November 5: Melbourne Cup Day

Queensland

Monday, May 6: Labour Day

Wednesday, August 14: Ekka Day

Monday, October 7: Queen’s Birthday

ACT

Monday, March 11: Canberra Day

Monday, May 27: Reconciliation Day

Monday, June 10: Queen’s Birthday

Monday, October 7: Labour Day

Western Australia

Monday, March 4: Labour Day

Monday, June 3: Western Australia Day

Monday, September 30: Queen’s Birthday

South Australia

Monday, March 11: March Public Holiday

Monday, June 10: Queen’s Birthday

Monday, October 7: Labour Day

Tuesday, December 24: Christmas Eve (part day from 7pm)

Thursday, December 26: Proclamation Day

Tuesday, December 31: New Year’s Eve (part day from 7pm)

Northern Territory

Monday, May 6: May Day

Monday, June 10: Queen’s Birthday

Monday, August 5: Picnic Day

Tasmania

Monday, March 11: Eight Hours Day

Tuesday, April 23: Easter Tuesday (restricted holiday)

Monday, June 10: Queen’s Birthday

Monday, November 4: Recreation Day