We’re now almost a month into the New Year and already people are planning their holidays and making the most of their annual leave, with one study revealing the most popular day to book off this year.
A study by Employment Hero provided exclusively to The Express shows that Fridays and Mondays are the most popular days that Brits are taking as annual leave for a four-day weekend.
According to the research, Fridays account for 57% of the leave booked so far this year.
As of January 15, Easter is the most popular time to take annual leave, with three dates around the celebration in the top 10 days; Thursday 17th (day before Good Friday), Friday 18th (Good Friday) and 21st April (Easter Monday).
Easter Monday is so far the most popular day to book leave overall.
When it comes to who is taking their annual leave and getting their bookings in early, the most common age group booking Fridays off are 35-44 year-olds.
They were also the most likely to have one of the top ten days booked overall, suggesting this age group is proactive about their holidays and making sure to get them locked in early.
If you’re planning to book your annual leave early, consider a winter getaway this year – October, November, and December currently have the fewest annual leave bookings for 2025.
Kevin Fitzgerald, UK MD at Employment Hero, has advised working Brits to plan ahead and make the most of the time they have off.
He said: “It’s clear that the trend of ‘Holiday Hacking’ is only gaining momentum, with employees finding creative ways to maximise their annual leave and enjoy extended weekends. My advice? Don’t wait for Easter – plan ahead.”
He added that thinking strategically is key, and employees should start to plan so they can stay on top of their holidays this year.
“Fridays are already in high demand, so being organised is key. For employers, this is also a great opportunity to capitalise on the months when teams are more present – plan projects, training, or team activities to make the most of this time.”
The top 10 days to book annual leave so far in 2025:
Monday, April 21 (Easter Monday)
Friday, April 18 (Good Friday)
Friday, February 21
Friday, May 30
Monday, May 5 (Early May Bank Holiday)
Thursday 17th April
Wednesday 31st December
Friday 25th April & Friday 28th Feb
Friday 14th Feb
Friday 7th Feb
