It's that time of year when we're all looking forward to some time off over Christmas and perhaps even making plans for the year ahead.

In 2017 there's a great opportunity for crafty employees to bag themselves 18 days off work by using only nine days' annual leave.

So is Easter bank holiday in April, you ask? Yes - Good Friday is on April 14 and Easter Monday on April 17, followed by another bank holiday on May 1.

So if you work until Thursday, April 13, and you book off working days in-between until Tuesday, May 2, then you only need to use nine days of holiday to be away from your desk for two-and-half weeks.

Really shrewd employees can also get ten days off over Christmas by using just three days' holiday.

Christmas and Boxing Day fall on a Monday and Tuesday, so by booking December 27-29 off work, you can put your feet up for the two weekends either side, plus New Year’s Day.

So you better get booking now before all your colleagues realise the neat trick.

Of course, this is all assuming you work Monday to Friday and you don’t have a job that often necessitates bank holiday work – like journalism. D'oh!

ALL BANK HOLIDAY DATES FOR 2017:

  • Monday, January 2 - New Year’s Day (substitute day)
  • Friday, April 14 - Good Friday
  • Monday, April 17 - Easter Monday
  • Monday, May1 - Early May bank holiday
  • Monday, May 29 - Spring bank holiday
  • Monday, August 28 - Summer bank holiday
  • Monday, December 25 - Christmas Day
  • Tuesday, December 26 - Boxing Day

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