How do you spread your annual leave?

[Sleepyrube]

We've recently changed our annual leave booking system and it's left me feeling like i have less annual leave than usual (not the case but definitely feels like it!)

Just wondered how everyone splits their annual leave throughout the year? I was so unwell during our Christmas break so really feel like I haven't enjoyed a break since October. Maybe that's fine, but it's suddenly feeling a bit of a stretch until my next break in April!

At my current job - we are encouraged to take AL each quarter

We are encouraged to take it evenly throughout the year too. I’m NHS with over 20 years service and I work bank holidays so get quite a lot of leave.

I try to have something to look forward to in terms of a break or holiday every 3 months, it works well for me. Nothing exciting, just something.

I usually take a week off in spring, a week in September, a week in late October and 2/3 in December

Tied to the school holidays here, so usually 5days ish over Xmas, two weeks at Easter as that’s our big family holiday, then two weeks but split over the summer holidays and then odd other days, but I get 30 days holiday plus all the bank holidays

We can take ours when we want although the week before Christmas is usually a bit more tricky and although we might request it it’s not always authorised depending on how many others have requested time off.
We also need to ensure we have cover when off, not such an issue for a day or two but longer than that we would.

i tend to have a week at Easter, a week in May half term, 2 weeks over the summer and then we all get the days between Christmas Day and the 2nd January off as standard but I will usually have a few extra days in Jan as we are normally on holiday.
I will then assess as the year goes on as I have plenty more leave to use, usually take a few Mondays and Fridays off here and there and a few random mid week days in December for Christmas shopping and wrapping etc.
i get 35 days of a/l and always carry 5 over ‘just in case’ and although we aren’t really allowed to build large amounts of toil I tend to use it during the holidays, just a day or two. I have one dc still at school (the other 2 are past that now) and once the youngest has left I will never take time off during the holidays again, it’s always quiet then!

If you were sick whilst on annual leave you should have followed normal sickness reporting procedures and taken leave at a later date.

Oh it wasn't annual leave, it's just the shut down! I asked my manage but doesn't apply in that case.

We're shut down between Xmas and New Year so that comes out of our annual leave allowance. I tend to make my Xmas break 2 weeks in total, or close to 2 weeks.
1 week "summer" holiday abroad (usually in Sept)
sometimes a week in May / June (otherwise it's a long time until my main holiday) and several long weekends away or ad-hoc Mondays and Fridays off to catch up with stuff or travel to see friends and family.

I get 27 days + 8 bank holidays, a week off ant Christmas (shutdown) and I buy 5 extra days.

I like to take a two week holiday, two 1 weeks holidays and the extra I use in dribs and drabs for weekends away
or hobby things in the week. I could take it all in one go if I wanted to.

I get 30 days plus five (either carried or purchased) plus stat.

I'll take three weeks in July. I'll take two days at Easter to give me a long weekend. A few days in August and then a few at Christmas. I toons few for half term last week.

I'm the team leader so I can't be off when the next most senior period below me is off. She's already booked for her summer leave but she doesn't have kids so we can usually work it out ok.

Why do you feel like you've ended up with less leave?

I get 18 days after bh and Xmas shut down are taken.
I always try to book Easter so I get 10 days for 4 days al.
Then normally a week in June & October with the spare days used when needed

2 weeks in the summer, at least a week at Christmas, then 2-3 days in each half term and I save a few for randomly scattered days. I find it good as a pattern

I have kids & usually do

Couple of days at Easter
Week at May
2 weeks in august
Spread any left over days between Oct & Xmas
I actually don't mind working Xmas. I can take extra days unpaid too which is handy

I get 8 weeks leave so generally take two weeks in summer and then a week every other month.

2 weeks every 4 months, plus odd bits of long weekends interspersed.
My leave allowance is 33 plus BH and I currently buy an extra week, and am actively considering buying a second week…

I get 45 days inclusive of bank holidays. Some is fixed (Christmas and Easter shutdowns) but we're free to take the rest whenever. I tend to take a week at Easter, a week in May and the rest in blocks through the summer. Our leave year starts in October.

A week in February, two weeks in summer, a week in October. I then take each Friday in December and have a few left to take on a whim, roll over or sell back.

I do a week at Christmas, a week at Easter, 2 weeks in the summer and usually May and October half terms (a colleague usually takes the Feb half term). Some years I take 3 weeks in the summer and very rarely I have the chance for 2 weeks at Christmas/New Year which I jump at if possible, and so if I do either of those I then don’t take one of the half terms. I agree with you it feels like a long stretch from Christmas to Easter (and it’s late this year)! I keep thinking I need to take a break in between but I’m not willing to give up Christmas or summer holidays… I probably could give up the May half term on the face of it as it’s relatively close to summer holidays, but I often help lead a cub camp then.

I have to shove mine in wherever I can find a space due to senior managers assuming they can take the entire school holidays off without any consultation with the rest of the team. It's not exactly making me feel pink, fluffy, or loyal towards my current NHS employer...in previous Trusts it's been much more fairly distributed.

I get 30 days so tend to try to take a week every other month. More or less.

A week at Xmas
A week at spring half term
Two weeks in summer

Also get 13 extra bank holiday days

Then five sick days
2 personal days

I encourage my team to book in some leave at regular intervals eg 3 weeks at regular intervals through the year and then the other 3 weeks as and when.

I have set points in the year I know I want off -

Christmas 2 weeks
Summer 2 or 3 weeks
Easter 1 week
And the rest as adhoc days (33 days total leave on top of bank hols)

Fortunate to work term time only but DP always takes his A/L for appointments during the week alongside a week at Xmas and 2wks in the summer and odd days here and there (usually base around kids holidays)

2 weeks Christmas, 1 week Feb/March, 1 week around Easter, 1 around May, 1 in the summer, 1 in October.

Plus a few odd long weekends throughout. I work flexi so can usually tag a day of flex to each holiday which effectively gives me an extra couple of weeks a year. I might start buying leave so I can take 2 weeks in summer, 1 week isn't quite cutting it atm!

I'm self-employed.

I do ten days at Easter, two weeks in the August, two weeks at Christmas plus I take off all the bank holiday weekends.