Overview

• Guides published on 28–29 September explain how the 2025 calendar lets some workers stretch time off across the festive period.
• With Christmas on Thursday 25 December and Boxing Day on Friday 26 December, bank holidays and weekends bookend a longer break.
• Booking Monday 22 to Wednesday 24 December and Monday 29 to Wednesday 31 December as annual leave can create a 13‑day run of downtime for eligible workers.
• The plan relies on employees receiving bank holidays and weekends off, so contracts and workplace policies must be checked before requesting dates.
• Most full‑time UK staff have at least 28 days’ paid annual leave, though bank holiday rules and dates vary by nation, affecting who can use this tactic.