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Tired Already?

Memories of your brief December holiday are already fading away, it’s amazing how quickly that happens and pretty soon, you feel like you need a another break.

How can you maximise your leave days this year, to get the most bang for your buck?

It’s Good To Take A Break

More and more people these days are recognising that our mental health and feelings of wellbeing effect how hard, and efficiently we are able to work.

Tired workers make mistakes, and mistakes can cost a business an arm and a leg. So, to have happy, healthy, well rested workers can really boost the overall mood in a workspace, and even increase productivity (especially given our current load-shedding challenges).

With some advanced planning this year, you can really maximise your rest days. Let’s look at what some clever people have figured out about taking leave in 2023.

Here’s How You Do It

MARCH

Friday 17 – TAKE LEAVE

Saturday 18

Sunday 19

Monday 20 – TAKE LEAVE

Tuesday 21 – Human Rights day

 

APRIL

Thursday 6 – TAKE LEAVE

Friday 7 – Good Friday

Saturday 8

Sunday 9

Monday 10 – Family Day

Tuesday 11 – TAKE LEAVE

 

APRIL/MAY

Thursday 27 – Freedom Day

Friday 28 – TAKE LEAVE

Saturday 29

Sunday 30

Monday 1 – Workers day

 

JUNE

Thursday 15 – TAKE LEAVE

Friday 16 – Youth Day

Saturday 17

Sunday 18

Monday 19 – TAKE LEAVE

 

 

AUGUST

Wednesday 9 – Woman’s day

Thursday 10 – TAKE LEAVE

Friday 11 – TAKE LEAVE

Saturday 12

Sunday 13

 

SEPTEMBER

Friday 22 – TAKE LEAVE

Saturday 23

Sunday 24

Monday 25 – Heritage Day

 

DECEMBER

Friday 15 – TAKE LEAVE

Saturday 16 – Day of Reconciliation

Sunday 17

Monday 18 – TAKE LEAVE

 

Saturday 23

Sunday 24

Monday 25 – Christmas Day

Tuesday 26 – Day of Goodwill

Wednesday 27 – TAKE LEAVE

Thursday 28 – TAKE LEAVE

Friday 29 – TAKE LEAVE

Saturday 30

Sunday 31

You are bound to take leave at some point during the year, but with the way the economy is going you may not be able to plan a long overseas holidays (wouldn’t that be nice).

No, it is more likely that you will be thinking of taking shorter, local holidays, on a more often during this year. But the question is: when?

In the chart (based on 15 days leave) notice how by choosing the right days to put in leave, you can get a large number of sequential days of rest throughout the year.

‘by choosing the right days to put in leave, you can get a large number of sequential days of rest’

April & December are particularly good. In April by taking just 3 days of leave, you can maximise two long breaks of 5 or 6 days in a row (counting the weekends of course). In December using 5 days almost gets you the whole second half of the month off.

Play Nice

To be fair to your employer and co-workers, it would be good to put in for these leave days well in advance, so that everyone can plan around your absence.

You don’t want to leave anyone in the lurch or let the team down, so let them know well in advance and everyone can plan ahead and adjust accordingly.

Still, don’t be a martyr and lose out, and don’t wait too late to put in your leave application.

Plan Ahead And Keep Your Battery Charged

It is always wise to plan ahead.

Leaving things to the last minute will mean that by the time you ask for time off, your colleagues will be away and you will have to man the fort alone.

Instead, by choosing how best to use the available leave you have, you will be able to keep your batteries fully charged, become king or queen of the long weekend, and be on top of your game at work and home this year.

Note: To read the rest of this issue of Debtfree magazine click next/previous