Single most popular day to book off work - and it's not Christmas Eve

dailyrecord.co.uk:

As the festive buzz kicks in and 2023 draws to a close, the majority of UK workers have likely locked in their annual leave.Surprisingly, it's not Christmas Eve but New Year's Eve that emerges as the top choice for those looking to take a quick break, according to fresh data.

December 31 outstripped other days, with Boxing Day snapping at its heels in second place, while Christmas Eve languished in fifth spot after August 23 and 26.This insight springs from Employment Hero's SmartMatch Report, scrutinising real-time employee data from small to mid-sized UK enterprises.

Employment Hero UK's managing director, Kevin Fitzgerald, said: "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, all these prime dates are weekdays, two of which fall on bank holidays, often considered regular annual leave by some businesses.

When flipping the calendar to early January, however, we hit a vacation void with this period ranking as the least favoured for time off.Throughout the year, Fridays and Mondays proved to be hot picks for leave days, while Wednesdays saw less love from holiday-hungry employees.Fitzgerald commented: "Our data shows that UK workers love to 'leave hack' by combining annual leave with bank holidays for longer breaks.