Maximise your annual leave in 2025 with these holiday hacks

Maximising your time off from work using annual leave is something of an art-form in Australia. But making the most of it requires a bit of thinking ahead.

If you're keen to squeeze the most juice out of your annual leave in 2025, but aren't sure where to start, then stick around – we're about to tell you how you could turn 19 days of annual leave into 48 days off this year.

2025/2026 UPDATE: see our list of leave maximisation hacks for the 2026 calendar year

Full-time or part-time employees are entitled to a minimum of 4 weeks annual leave per year under the National Employment Standards . As you work, your annual leave slowly builds up.

Annual leave basically allows you to still get paid even when you’re away from work. This means that whilst travelling, for example, you won’t lose income for the days you take off. 

It’s important to take annual leave every once in a while, as taking breaks from the routine of work can help reduce your stress levels, improve motivation, spark creativity and even boost your health, according to Australia's largest workplace relations advice firm, Employsure .

It’s also good for your organisation, as it can improve team morale, increase productivity, improve employee retention rates, and decrease the number of unplanned absences.

The trick to maximising your annual leave this year is to thread the public holidays together using your leave days. 

Of course, public holidays differ from state-to-state. But the major ones (Australia Day, Easter, ANZAC Day, Christmas, and New Years) are all good opportunities to take some extra time off in 2025. 

Quick tip: Book in your annual leave dates as early as you can to avoid competing for time off with your co-workers. Plus, your boss will likely appreciate the early heads-up.

Here are the dates you need to know for the remainder of the year, so you can maximise your annual leave in 2025:

Turn 3 days of annual leave into 10 days off

Good Friday and Easter Monday (18-21 April) fall at a fortuitous time this year as ANZAC Day (Friday 25 April) follows soon after. It’s a prime opportunity for Aussie employees to use a small amount of leave for a generous return.

Your holiday: Friday, 18 April – Sunday, 27 April 2025. 

Take these dates off:

• Tuesday, 22 April
• Wednesday, 23 April 
• Thursday, 24 April

Turn 4 days of annual leave into 9 days off

This year, the King’s Birthday falls on Monday, 9 June – except in Queensland (6 October) and parts of Western Australia (29 September) – meaning there’s an opportunity to score a nine-day winter break and potentially jet off to a warmer climate, like South East Asia. Cheers, your Highness! 

Your holiday: Saturday, 7 June – Sunday, 15 June 2025. 

Take this date off:

• Tuesday, 10 June
• Wednesday, 11 June
• Thursday, 12 June
• Friday, 13 June

Turn 1 day of annual leave into 4 days off

Labour Day – commemorating the achievements of workers and the successful fight for an eight-hour workday – falls on Monday, 6 October this year for residents of NSW, ACT and South Australia (in Queensland it’s 5 May, Victoria 10 March and Western Australia 3 March, while Northern Territory and Tasmania don’t celebrate Labour Day). You can extend this long weekend into a four-day holiday.

Your holiday: Friday, 3 October – Monday, 6 October 2025.

Take this date off:

• Friday, 3 October

Turn 7 days of annual leave into 16 days off

At the end of the year many people want the opportunity to wind down over the Christmas break. What better way to do that than have a solid 2+ weeks off to enjoy family time and a hard-earned rest?

Your holiday: Saturday, 20 December 2025 – Sunday, 4 January 2026.  

Take these dates off:

• Monday, 22 December
• Tuesday, 23 December
• Wednesday, 24 December
• Monday, 29 December
• Tuesday, 30 December
• Wednesday, 31 December
• Friday, 2 January 2026

Here’s a few suggestions to help you get the most out of your annual leave holidays:

• Look for ways to link together public holidays by taking annual leave off between two separate holidays for an extended break.
• Check for unique public holidays observed in your state for more opportunities to maximise your time off (e.g. Melbourne Cup in Victoria and Adelaide Cup Day in South Australia).
• If you’re taking your annual leave to go on a holiday or to travel to another state, then consider getting domestic travel insurance for peace of mind.

If you’re travelling overseas during an extended annual leave period, then it’s recommended by the government’s Smartraveller service that you purchase an international travel insurance policy for coverage while away from home.