How to secure almost 50 days off work from your annual leave

With most Aussies settling back into the new work year, many are dreaming of carefree holidays gone by – or when they can travel next.

But a new study has revealed 45 percent of workers are not using their full four weeks of annual leave.

According to the latest figures from online travel website Expedia, the average Aussie is sitting on about one week of unused leave, blowing out to over 61.9 million days per year across the country.

“What we’re seeing is people are a bit afraid about what they’re going to miss,” Expedia travel expert Lisa Perkovic told The TODAY Show today, pointing to the near quarter of surveyed workers who check their emails at least once a day whilst on holidays.

“We’re also afraid of asking for time off.”

Despite this, 53 percent of surveyed workers said they felt vacation-deprived.

But according to Ms Perkovic, 2018 is the year to change your ways.

“This year, with the way the public holidays fall, you are going to get a lot of time off,” she said.

With some “strategic planning”, Aussie workers can secure nearly 50 days of holiday from their 20 annual leave days.

Here’s how:

January (Australia Day)

 With Australia Day around the corner, those who have taken off Monday January 29 have lined up a lovely four-day weekend (January 26 - Janury 29). 

March / April (Easter)

According to Ms Perkovic, workers who use eight days of leave this Easter can secure an 16-day holiday (March 24 - April 8)

“That’s enough time to go further afield,” she said.

Spring in Paris, perhaps?

April (ANZAC Day)

With Anzac Day falling midweek this year, four days of annual leave can become a nine-day holiday.

Ms Perkovic suggested taking two days of leave either side of the public holiday, between April 21 and April 29.

June (Queen’s Birthday)

 Workers across the country, except those in Queensland and Western Australia, can extend their Queen’s Birthday long weekend by turning one day of leave into a four-day holiday (June 9 – June 12).

October (Labour Day / Queen’s Birthday

In October, Ms Perkovic suggested taking four days of annual leave and securing a nine-day break (September 29 - October 7). 

“Try and take the Tuesday off, not the Friday, because you won’t be competing with those business travellers,’” she said.

December (Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day)

 While most of us are still recovering from Christmas, Ms Perkovic suggested planning now.

“If you take four days of leave, you are going to get 11 days off (December 22 - January 2),” she said.

Suddenly, a white Christmas is on the cards.