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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
