By leah jones
Maximize how long your vacations are throughout the year by strategically using your PTO around federal holidays for extended breaks. Here’s some examples of when to do this throughout the year.
If you can, take off on the Monday and Tuesday before New Years Day 2025 so you can have a five day weekend. You can also take off the Friday before or Tuesday after MLK Day.
February 2025 is set up for a romantic four day vacation. Use your PTO on Valentine’s Day (which will be on a Friday) and then enjoy a break through Presidents' day that following Monday.
There are no federal holidays that allow you to take an extended break in March but you can take off St. Patrick’s Day for a three-day weekend as it will be on a Monday.
There are also no federal holidays in April to plan time off around as Easter is always on Sunday. However, in the off chance that you have Good Friday off, you can take off the Thursday before.
Take off on the Friday before Memorial Day (falling on the following Monday) for another opportunity for a four-day weekend.
Celebrate Juneteenth by taking off the Friday after this federal holiday for a four-day weekend.
The 4th of July is on a Friday next year. Take the Thursday before off or the following Monday off for four days off.
There are no federal holidays to plan PTO around in August.
The first Monday in September every year is Labor Day. Extend your well deserved time off by using PTO on the following Tuesday.
Many jobs do not give time off on Indigenous People’s Day as it is not a federal holiday (or Columbus Day though it’s a federal holiday). Use PTO on the Friday before this day if you have these holidays off.
Take the day before/after Veteran's Day off for a four-day weekend. You can also take the Wednesday before or the Monday following the Thanksgiving holiday for a five-day vacation.
Take the Friday after Christmas 2025 off for an extended holiday. Also, consider taking the day before NYE or New Years Day off for a little extra break for the start of the new year.