How Derry employees can maximise their annual leave for 2025

It is possible for those employees in Derry, who work a Monday-to-Friday job, to get 65 days in 2025.

Booking days off near the bank holidays allows for this to be possible, with Northern Ireland having 10 public bank holidays.

In order to have 65 days off work, an employee will need to request 29 days of annual leave.

To begin, New Year's Day is a bank holiday, and it falls on a Wednesday, so by requesting January 2 and 3, you would not be required to work until Monday, January 6.

There are no bank holidays in February, with the next one being St. Patrick’s Day on March 17.

The patron saint of Ireland’s day falls on a Monday, so you can be off work from March 15 until March 23 if you book the rest of the working week off.

Employees will have to wait until April for their next opportunity to have a bank holiday, with this coming at Easter time.

There are two bank holidays, Good Friday and Easter Monday, so if you request the rest of Easter week for annual leave, you could be off from April 18 until April 28.

In May, like April, there are two bank holidays, the Early May Bank Holiday and the Spring Bank Holiday.

These days fall on May 5 and 26, so if you book off the whole working week following each day, you can be off from May 3 until May 11 for the Early May Bank Holiday and May 24 on June 1 for the Spring Bank Holiday.

The next bank holiday in Northern Ireland does not occur until July 14, to celebrate the Williamite success at the Battle of the Boyne, with this day falling on July 12, but this is a Saturday, so the bank holiday is moved to Monday.

This means if you request the rest of the working week off, you will be off from July 12 until July 20 if it is granted.

The Summer Bank Holiday is set to take place on August 25, which is a Monday.

By requesting the rest of the working week off, a Derry employee could be off from August 23 until August 31.

The final two bank holidays of the year are Christmas and St. Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day).

These days fall on a Thursday and Friday, so if an employee were to request December 29, 30, and 31 off, then it is possible to be off work for the rest of the year from Christmas Day.