As the UK weather starts to heat up and many are looking at spending more time outside, the spring bank holiday, also known as the late May bank holiday, presents an opportunity for a next break.
The coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, 6 May 2023, comes with an extra bank holiday across the UK on Monday, 8 May, which means that Brits can enjoy more time in the sun.
Following recent research showing that 61% of Brits plan to go on holiday abroad this year, up from 50% who were asked the same question last year, Frank Recruitment Group has figured out how Brits can double their time off this May.
This hack applies to UK workers entitled to bank holidays as part of their employment contract and normally work Monday through Friday.
To have a 10-day getaway for the upcoming May bank holiday, schedule the days leading up to the King’s coronation as follows:
Tuesday 2 May – Friday 5 May
Date Holiday Name Number of Days Annual Leave Required Days to Book Off Consecutive Days Away From Work 1-May Early May bank holiday 4 Tuesday 2 May – Friday 5 May 10 8-May Bank holiday for the coronation of King Charles III 4 Tuesday 9 May – Friday 12 May 9
With the early May bank holiday on 1 May and King Charles III’s coronation holiday on 8 May, workers in the UK can take off the Tuesday to Friday following both public holidays to secure a 10-day time off work by using only four days of annual leave.
Alternatively, if the dates suit better, they can book off the remainder of the week after the coronation and have nine days instead. They can even book all the time off and have 16 days away from their desk to spend however they please.
Mental health week
On the theme of ‘anxiety’, this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week runs from 15 to 21 May.
With 76% of UK professionals impacted by stress and reporting moderate-to-high or high levels of stress, Zoë Morris, President of Frank Recruitment Group, had the following to say:
“Employee wellbeing is an imperative part of a successful workforce, and ensuring a healthy work-life balance goes a long way in helping businesses to achieve that,” she said. “Holidays allow employees time to de-stress, unwind and relax away from the hustle and bustle that working life can generate.
“Employers should do more to encourage a healthier balance, for example, by actively promoting the importance of having time to switch off from work. Simple acts such as sending out an email reminder for employees to use their annual leave, or having managers openly discuss the benefits of using holidays, even if it’s just to spend some time at home relaxing, can go a long way towards achieving this, as it communicates to employees that your business recognises how essential this can be to their wellbeing.
“Taking prolonged spells away from work using these holiday hacks presents the opportunity for employees to recharge their batteries throughout the year without using up as much of their annual allowance.”
Methodology
Holiday data was collected from the UK government website (https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays). Holidays with (substitute) fall on weekends, and the next weekday becomes a bank holiday, usually the following Monday.
As Scotland and Northern Ireland both have devolved powers, the Scottish government and the Northern Ireland Executive can set extra bank holidays. As such, January 2 and St Andrew’s Day are bank holidays in Scotland only, while St Patrick’s Day and 12 July are bank holidays in Northern Ireland only.
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