If you've just come back to work from your Christmas break but are already eyeing your next time off period, an online annual leave calendar promising to maximise the length of your holiday might be for you.
The Holidays Optimiser uses public holidays to calculate the most advantageous dates users can take annual leave on to make time off worthwhile. For example, Waitangi Day this year falls on a Thursday, so by taking Friday February 7 off you can enjoy a four-day weekend.
The website allows its users to input the total number of days they'd like to take off over a specified range of time. While the default setting is based on a Monday-to-Friday working week, the days you work can be changed to suit your personal working week.
For workers based in Auckland who work from Monday to Friday, the calendar suggests six holiday periods throughout 2020. It results in 47 days of holiday by using 20 days of leave.
Holiday period one
If a quick break over summer is just what you need after Christmas, this first leave break could be what you're after.
Days to take off: January 21, 22, 23, 24
This allows for seven days of holiday from Tuesday January 21 to Monday January 27 inclusive by only taking four days of leave.
Holiday period two
If you'd also enjoy a week-long break in February, the Waitangi Day period is another great time for annual leave optimisation.
Days to take off: February 3, 4, 5, 7
This allows for nine days off from Saturday February 1 to Sunday February 9 inclusive by only taking four days of leave.
Holiday period three
April is the month of Easter celebrations and Anzac Day, which also means three public holidays in a two-week period.
Days to take off: April 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
This allows for 18 days of time off from Friday April 10 to Monday April 27 inclusive by only taking nine days of leave.
Holiday period four
The last three holiday periods of the year are based on optimising Mondayised public holidays.
The first is over the Queen's Birthday holiday in June.
Day to take off: May 29
This allows for four days of respite from Friday May 29 to Monday June 1 inclusive by only taking one day of leave.
Holiday period five
Labour Day in late October is the second Mondayised public holiday the website suggests to use for leave optimisation.
Day to take off: October 23
This allows for four days of holiday from Friday October 23 to Monday October 26 inclusive by only taking one day of leave.
Holiday period six
And finally, Christmas and Boxing Day are the final public holidays of 2020. Due to when the two days fall, your end-of-year break can have a small extension with just one day of leave.
Day to take off: December 29
This allows for five days off from Friday December 25 to Tuesday December 29 inclusive by only taking one day of leave.
