If you traded your freedom for a 9-5 job like I did, you probably get a maximum of 30 working days of paid vacation time in a year. But let’s be honest, who hasn’t daydreamed about flipping the script – working only 30 days a year and dedicating the rest to adventures and relaxation?
Over time, I’ve honed some creative leave-planning techniques that leave a few colleagues with raised eyebrows. They occasionally tease me, half-jokingly suggesting that perhaps my friends in HR are slipping a few extra days into my vacation allowance. It’s all in good fun, but in reality, it’s about making the most of the time off, finessing leave days into weekends and public holidays. I also plan around the occasional training and official assignments within and outside the country, but that’s a discussion for another day.
We’ve already relished several public holidays earlier this year, which offered windows for a few staycations or mini vacations, with a flight to London being just over 6 hours away and Accra less than a 2-hour hop. If you missed out on these opportunities, fret not; the following chances are on the horizon:
Id el Maulud – September 27 (Wednesday) – Tentative:
Id-el-Maulud is a public holiday in Nigeria. The Islamic calendar is lunar, and the date for this holiday changes every year, but the tentative date for this year is Wednesday, September 27. To maximise your vacation days, consider taking two days off before (September 25 and 26) or after (September 28 and 29), creating a five-day break from work.
Independence Day – October 1 (Sunday):
Nigeria’s Independence Day is a significant national celebration. Taking two days off work before the holiday (September 28 and 29) will give you a five-day vacation, perfect for a relaxing staycation or exploring the beauty of Nigeria.
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day – December 25 (Monday), 26 (Tuesday) and January 1, 2024 (Monday):
Christmas and Boxing Day fall on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, and New Year’s Day is the following Monday. Extend your holiday by taking December 27, 28, and 29 (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) off, and you won’t have to return to the office until January 2, 2024. That adds up to ten (10) well-deserved days of relaxation and festivities.
Now that you know my not-so-secret strategy, I hope you use it to maximize your time off work. Here’s to you enjoying fantastic holidays and creating unforgettable memories!
