Most standard day of the yr to take off work – not Christmas Eve

On Dec 19, 2024

New research has revealed the most popular day of the year to take annual leave in the UK – and it’s not Christmas Eve

14:14, 19 Dec 2024Updated 14:15, 19 Dec 2024

A young woman cozies up on the couch in front of her computer and holds a credit card and cup of tea in the other.

New data has revealed when Brits book their annual leave(Image: Getty Images)

As we approach the end of the year and everyone gets into full festive mode, it’s fascinating to see that most people who are working have probably already filled in their leave requests for 2025.

And there’s one day that’s more popular than others for a quick break, and the data might surprise you.

Rather than Christmas Eve, it’s New Year’s Eve (December 31) that’s taking the top spot for Brits wanting to leg it from the office, with Boxing Day (December 26) being the runner-up. Surprisingly, Christmas Eve is trailing behind in fifth place, even losing out to August 23 and August 26.

The Employment Hero’s SmartMatch Report, dishing out the deets on real-time data from a whopping 90,000 workers across small and medium businesses in the UK.

Chiming in on the findings, Kevin Fitzgerald, the UK managing director at Employment Hero, shared: “It’s no surprise that New Year’s Eve tops the leave list – who doesn’t want to get ready to ring in 2025 with friends and family?

At the same time, let’s spare a thought for the incredible hospitality workers, healthcare heroes, and emergency responders who keep things running while the rest of us celebrate.”

Interestingly, every single day that made it to the top slots for a cheeky getaway was a weekday, but two were bank holidays (December 26 and August 26) – and some companies count these as just regular annual leave days.

Business people negotiating a contract. Human hands working with documents at desk and signing contract.

The least popular days to book are all in January(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

When you look at the days nobody wants off, early January is like the ghost town of holiday bookings, with all five of the least favoured days nestled at the start of the New Year. All through the calendar, Brits love to snag Fridays and Mondays for their time out, with Wednesdays getting the cold shoulder.

Fitzgerald revealed the cunning moves of savvy Brit employees, saying: “Our data shows that UK workers love to ‘leave hack’ by combining annual leave with bank holidays for longer breaks.

Article continues below

“It also highlights that January is a quiet time for leave – perfect for employers to focus on getting things done while the team is fully present. Spotting these trends helps businesses plan better for the year ahead.”