Work smarter, not harder, in 2026! Here’s how to save yourself from that Monday-to-Friday grind by making the most of your annual leave days.

(That is, unless you’re one of the legends keeping the country ticking over, in which case, enjoy that time and a half.)

Starting with New Year’s Day landing on a Thursday, it’s followed by the Day After New Year’s on Friday (which, personally, still feels like a strange public holiday). Rolling into the weekend, you’ve got a built-in four days off to start the year. 

If you’re really chasing a slow start to the year, take Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 January off, and you’ll have six glorious days to recover from your New Year’s antics.

Waitangi Day falls on a Friday, giving you a ready-made long weekend to wrap up summer. Add Monday off and you’ve got yourself four days of BBQs, roadies, or absolutely nothing at all.

April’s the big one. Good Friday is on the 3rd and Easter Monday on the 6th of April, giving us the usual four-day weekend to eat far too much chocolate.

However, if you’re in Southland (rare to say, but you lucky thing), you will also have your Anniversary Day on Tuesday, April 7th, giving you a five-day weekend without taking any leave at all.

For the rest of us, if you take from Tuesday 7th, till Friday 10th off, you’ll get a ten-day break by using just four days of annual leave.

Later that month, ANZAC Day falls on Saturday 25 April, meaning Monday 27 April becomes the observed public holiday. With Super Rugby Super Weekend happening in Christchurch, no doubt plenty of people will be glad to see that Monday off.

Perfectly timed for a midyear breather, King’s Birthday falls on Monday, 1 June, a great excuse for a winter getaway or a proper weekend of doing sweet nothing.

Six weeks later, Matariki lands on Friday 10 July, bringing another long weekend, the perfect chance to slow down, rug up, and spend time with whānau.

After what feels like the longest stretch between public holidays, Labour Day finally rolls around on Monday, 26 October, often seen as the unofficial start to summer. 

Given the gap between long weekends, you could make it extra long by booking a cheeky Friday or Tuesday off to soak up that spring sunshine before the silly season kicks in.

Then, to wrap up the year, Christmas falls on Friday, 25 December, with Boxing Day on Saturday, being observed on Monday, 28 December, giving you a four-day weekend without having to take any leave over that time.

However, if you also take Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30, and Thursday 31 December off, you’ll enjoy 11 days off going into 2027.

Here’s how it all adds up:

• January: 2 days leave = 6 days off

• Waitangi: 1 day leave = 4 days off

• Easter: 4 days leave = 10 days off

• Labour Day: 1 day leave = 4 days off

• Christmas: 3 days leave = 11 days off

• PLUS the given long weekends: 3 (ANZAC) + 3 (King's Birthday) + 3 (Matariki) = 9 days off

All up, if you play it right, you can squeeze around 41 days off in 2026 while only using 11 days of leave, or 10 if you’re in Southland.

Time to get that leave form in early before everyone else catches on.