How to maximise your annual leave in 2025 and get more days off

Boost your annual leave days for the coming year and get the most out of your time off. Here's how to maximise your annual leave days in 2024-25 by taking some strategic breaks.

Why it’s important to take annual leave

Most full-time workers in New Zealand are entitled to four weeks of paid annual leave a year. When used wisely, this time off can reap huge rewards for you, both personally and professionally. In fact, 63% of Kiwis agree that taking annual holidays helps them be more productive in the workplace.

Get the most out of your annual leave by joining it with public holidays

Here’s how to stretch out 18 days of annual leave, in combination with weekends and public holidays, to get a very solid 55 days’ worth!

Christmas and New Year 2024-25

If you have a little extra leave leftover for the year or need to use up some leave before the end of 2024, you can look forward to a 13-day break by taking just five days off.

• Saturday 21 December: Weekend
• Sunday 22 December: Weekend
• Monday 23 December: Annual Leave (Take day off)
• Tuesday 24 December: Annual Leave (Take day off)
• Wednesday 25 December: Christmas Day public holiday
• Thursday 26 December: Boxing Day public holiday
• Friday 27 December: Annual Leave (Take day off)
• Saturday 28 December: Weekend
• Sunday 29 December: Weekend
• Monday 30 December: Annual Leave (Take day off)
• Tuesday 31 December: Annual Leave (Take day off)
• Wednesday 1 January 2025: Public holiday
• Thursday 2 January 2025: Day after New Year’s Day public holiday

Waitangi Day 2025

Make the most of Waitangi Day by taking a day off afterwards to get a four-day weekend.

• Thursday 6 February: Waitangi Day public holiday
• Friday 7 February: Annual leave (Take day off)
• Saturday 8 February: Weekend
• Sunday 9 February: Weekend

Easter & ANZAC Day 2025

Take three days off over Easter & ANZAC Day to get a 10-day holiday.

• Friday 18 April: Good Friday Public Holiday
• Saturday 19 April: Weekend
• Sunday 20 April : Easter Sunday (Weekend)
• Monday 21 April : Easter Monday Public Holiday
• Tuesday 22 April: Annual leave (Take day off)
• Wednesday 23 April: Annual leave (Take day off)
• Thursday 24 April: Annual leave (Take day off)
• Friday 25 April: ANZAC Day public holiday
• Saturday 26 April: Weekend
• Sunday 27 April: Weekend

King’s Birthday 2025

King’s Birthday falls on Monday 2 June, so why not take the Friday off for an extra-long weekend?

• Friday 30 May: Annual leave (Take day off)
• Saturday 31 May: Weekend
• Sunday 1 June: Weekend
• Monday 2 June: King’s Birthday public holiday

Matariki 2025

Our fourth Matariki public holiday is on Friday 20 June this year. Why not celebrate by taking the following Monday off for a four-day break?

• Friday 20 June: Matariki public holiday
• Saturday 21 June: Weekend
• Sunday 22 June: Weekend
• Monday 23 June: Annual leave (Take day off)

Labour Day 2025

Labour Day 2025 give Kiwis a nice break between Matariki and Christmas, especially if you take the Friday off beforehand.

• Friday 24 October: Annual leave (Take day off)
• Saturday 25 October: Weekend
• Sunday 26 October: Weekend
• Monday 27 October: Labour Day public holiday

Christmas and January 2025-26

If you want to get really organised for 2025, book in six days of annual leave for a whopping 16-day break over the silly season!

• Saturday 20 December: Weekend
• Sunday 21 December: Weekend
• Monday 22 December: Annual leave (Take day off)
• Tuesday 23 December: Annual leave (Take day off)
• Wednesday 24 December: Annual leave (Take day off)
• Thursday 25 December: Christmas Day public holiday
• Friday 26 December: Boxing Day public holiday
• Saturday 27 December: Weekend
• Sunday 28 December: Weekend
• Monday 29 December: Annual leave (Take day off)
• Tuesday 30 December: Annual leave (Take day off)
• Wednesday 31 December: Annual leave (Take day off)
• Thursday 1 January 2026: New Year’s Day public holiday
• Friday 2 January 2026: Day after New Year’s Day public holiday
• Saturday 3 January 2026: Weekend
• Sunday 4 January 2026: Weekend

Even after all of this time off, you’ve still got two days of annual leave up your sleeve. You could use them to take time off for your birthday or join them together for a long weekend of your choosing.  New Zealand also celebrates quite a few regional public holidays, so check out Employment New Zealand to find out when yours are.  

Annual leave allows you to take a proper break from work and return feeling refreshed. It can also give you the time and space to think about new career directions or fresh ways of doing things. By looking at all the public holidays coming up in the next year, you can build an annual leave plan that maximises your chance to recharge your batteries.

Source: Independent research conducted by Nature of behalf of SEEK, interviewing 4000 Kiwis annually. Published January 2024.