{"id":741289,"date":"2024-01-11T17:16:40","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T15:16:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=741289"},"modified":"2024-01-11T17:16:40","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T15:16:40","slug":"days-to-take-off-in-2024-to-get-the-most-out-of-public-holidays-and-paid-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/lifestyle\/741289\/days-to-take-off-in-2024-to-get-the-most-out-of-public-holidays-and-paid-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"Days to take off in 2024 to get the most out of public holidays and paid leave"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Employees can ensure that they optimise their work leave in 2024 by scheduling it around South Africa&#8217;s public holidays. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Bonnie Smith, GM of Corporate Travel, South African travellers can use careful planning around long weekends to stretch their time off work even further this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best opportunity for an extended break is over the easter week in April, which can be optimised by taking leave from March 28th to April 3rd &#8211; this can give you a seven-day holiday with just three work days taken off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Days to take off:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Thursday, 28 March<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tuesday, 2 April<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wednesday, 3 April<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/TIme-off-March-April-01.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/TIme-off-March-April-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-741837\" srcset=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/TIme-off-March-April-01.jpg 800w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/TIme-off-March-April-01-300x101.jpg 300w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/TIme-off-March-April-01-768x259.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want an even more extended break over that period, you can take five work days off and have a 12-day break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Days to take off:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Friday, 22 March<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monday, 25 March<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tuesday, 26 March<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wednesday, 27 March<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thursday, 28 March<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/TIme-off-March-April.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/TIme-off-March-April.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-741835\" srcset=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/TIme-off-March-April.jpg 800w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/TIme-off-March-April-300x101.jpg 300w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/TIme-off-March-April-768x259.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking time off between April 29th and May 3rd can also result in a leisurely nine-day getaway with four workdays sacrificed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Days to take off:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Monday, 29 April<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tuesday, 30 April<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thursday, 2 May<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Friday, 3 May<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Aprile-May-time-off.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Aprile-May-time-off.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-741839\" srcset=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Aprile-May-time-off.jpg 800w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Aprile-May-time-off-300x101.jpg 300w, https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Aprile-May-time-off-768x259.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Other opportune times<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>September&#8217;s Heritage Day long weekend can also result in a quick four-day holiday by taking <strong>Monday, September 23<\/strong> off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For those who store up leave until the end of the year, the best opportunity for a break comes in December 2024, with four public holidays taking place over 16 days, leading to the most time off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting Saturday, 15 December through to Wednesday, 1 January 2025, a total of nine working days off yields a year-end break totalling 18 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The table below outlines the best breaks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><div class=\"table-responsive\"><table class=\"table\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Leave period<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Days off<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Workdays<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>28 March &#8211; 3 April<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">7<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">3<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>21 March &#8211; 1 April<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">12<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>29 April &#8211; 3 May<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">9<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">4<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>21 September &#8211; 24 September<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">4<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15 December &#8211; 1 January <\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">18<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">9<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8216;Extra&#8217; holidays in 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>South Africa will also be getting two &#8216;extra&#8217; public holidays in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the official date of the 2024 national election has not yet been announced, the day has historically been named a public holiday by the President to give all South Africans the opportunity to vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the last national election held on 8 May 2019, it is expected that the 2024 elections will also fall around this time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second extra day will be on Monday, 17 June as Youth Day (16 June) falls on a Sunday <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Public Holidays Act states that the Monday that follows any public holiday on a Sunday shall also be a public holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are thus 14 public holidays this year, which South Africans can take advantage of when planning their work leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2024&#8217;s public holidays can be found below: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1 January \u2013 New Year\u2019s Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>21 March \u2013 Human Rights Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>29 March \u2013 Good Friday<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1&nbsp;April \u2013 Family Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>May (TBD) \u2013 2024 National Election<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>27 April \u2013 Freedom Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 May \u2013 Workers\u2019 Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>16 June \u2013 Youth Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>17 June \u2013 Public holiday, Youth Day observed<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>9 August \u2013 National Women\u2019s Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>24 September \u2013 Heritage Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>16 December \u2013 Day of Reconciliation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>25 December \u2013 Christmas Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>26 December \u2013 Day of Goodwill<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/lifestyle\/741135\/this-is-what-a-r120000-first-class-flight-looks-like-in-south-africa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">This is what a R120,000 first-class flight looks like in South Africa<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you take leave at the right time this year you can extend a couple of days off into a whole week &#8211; you just need to plan ahead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":741299,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9876],"tags":[19071,26],"class_list":["post-741289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-corporate-travel","tag-headline"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/741289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=741289"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/741289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":741841,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/741289\/revisions\/741841"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/741299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=741289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=741289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=741289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}