We all love a good break, and in 2025, there’s a clever way to maximise your time off by strategically using your annual leave days around public holidays and weekends. Barefoot.Blaze shares how, by planning ahead, you can enjoy extended breaks without burning through all your leave.
How to Maximise Annual Leave 2025
Here’s how you can get a whopping 132 days off in 2025, giving you 36% of the year to recharge and relax.
January
Take advantage of the New Year’s public holiday by pairing it with a few leave days to enjoy a longer break at the start of the year. Similarly, plan around Australia Day by taking extra days off before or after to create an extended holiday for relaxation or travel.
Take off: 2nd–3rd & 28th–29th
Total days off: 11 days (4 annual leave days + public holidays + weekends)
April: Easter & Anzac Day Combo
This month is filled with opportunities for long weekends, making it perfect for a well-deserved break. By strategically using a few well-placed leave days, you can significantly extend your time off and enjoy a much longer period of relaxation or adventure.
Take off: 22nd–24th & 28th–29th
Total days off: 12 days (5 annual leave days + public holidays + weekends)
June: Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend
You can enjoy a refreshing mini-break in June by taking just three leave days, strategically placed around the public holidays. This clever timing allows you to stretch your time off to six days, perfect for a mid-year getaway or some extra relaxation.
Take off: 6th, 10th–11th
Total days off: 6 days (3 annual leave days + public holidays + weekends)
October: Enjoy a Spring Break
October offers another opportunity to maximise your time off, especially around the long weekend created by the public holiday. By taking a few well-placed leave days, you can enjoy a longer break without using up too many of your annual leave days.
Take off: 3rd, 6th–7th
Total days off: 5 days (3 annual leave days + public holidays + weekends)
December: End the Year with a Bang
Close out 2025 with a well-deserved, long break over Christmas and New Year, allowing yourself time to relax, reflect on the year, and recharge for the one ahead. This extended time off allows you to enjoy the festive season with family and friends, travel, or simply unwind in the comfort of home.
Take off: 22nd–23rd, 29th–31st
Total days off: 12 days (5 annual leave days + public holidays + weekends)
The Numbers Add Up
By spreading your leave strategically throughout the year, you can significantly increase the amount of time off you enjoy in 2025, without using up all your annual leave.
Public Holidays: There are 8 national public holidays in 2025. These are key to maximising your time off, as they don’t require you to use any of your annual leave.
Annual Leave Used: You’ll only need to use 20 days of your annual leave to unlock 132 days off in total. This leaves you with plenty of leave to play with for unexpected events, short breaks, or even more planned time off later in the year.
Weekends Included: By strategically aligning your leave with weekends, you can add an additional 34 days off to your year. This means you’re not just taking days off during the week, but you’re extending your breaks into the weekends for longer getaways or more relaxation time at home.
Remaining Weekends: Even after you’ve planned your extended breaks, there will still be 70 weekends throughout the year when you can enjoy your normal two days off. These weekends, combined with your long breaks, give you even more opportunities to rest and recharge.
Total
When you add up your annual leave, public holidays, and weekends, you’re looking at a grand total of 132 days off. That’s over a third of the year—36% to be exact—that you can dedicate to holidays, hobbies, or simply spending quality time with family and friends.
- Public Holidays: 8 days
- Annual Leave: 20 days
- Weekends Included: 34 days
- Remaining Weekends: 70 days
- Total Days Off: 132 days
Things To Consider
This approach suits careers with standard 9-to-5 schedules and fixed annual leave, like corporate roles, government jobs, education, and professions where public holidays are recognised. Fields like marketing, finance, IT, and teaching, with more flexible planning, benefit from this strategy, especially for roles where work can be managed or delegated.
It might not suit careers with irregular hours, shift work, or essential services like healthcare, hospitality, retail, or emergency services, where public holidays and weekends may not apply. In these fields, time off depends on shift availability, and extended breaks could disrupt workflow.
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This strategic approach to using your leave means you can enjoy more time off in 2025 without exhausting your annual leave allowance. By aligning your leave with public holidays and weekends, you can take extended breaks, giving yourself more time to relax, travel, or spend with family. This method helps prevent burnout and allows you to return to work feeling refreshed and ready to tackle new challenges.
With only 20 leave days, you’ll still have flexibility for spontaneous trips or important personal events throughout the year. Whether planning local getaways, big overseas adventures, or simply enjoying downtime at home, this strategy ensures you make the most of your annual leave while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
