Maximize your time off work this summer: Turn holidays into long weekends
Are you looking to maximize your paid time off this summer? Here are a few holidays that might help you turn a paid day off into a longer stretch.
Memorial Day: Monday, May 27
Memorial Day is already a three-day weekend, but if you take off May 24 with paid leave, you can make it four. Or, if you're craving more time off, taking leave from May 28 to 31 gives a nine-day stretch without work and only uses four vacation days.
Juneteenth: Wednesday, June 19
While more than half the U.S. got Juneteenth off work in 2023, it isn't a guaranteed day off for all workers.
President Joe Biden made the day, which commemorates the end of slavery, a federal holiday in 2021 and granted federal workers the day off. It is a recognized holiday by the state of Iowa, but it's not a paid day off for state workers.
This year Juneteenth falls in the middle of the week. If you want more time off to commemorate, take part in educational activities or relax, you can use two vacation days to make it a five-day weekend.
More: These 'serene' Iowa towns are best to escape to for a weekend retreat. What made the list?
Independence Day: Thursday, July 4
July 4 can become nine days off work by using only four days of time off.
This year, July 4 is on a Thursday. Taking off July 1-3 and 5 is the best way to optimize your time if you're looking for a long vacation. But, if you want to be simple with it, take off Friday, July 5 for a four-day weekend.
Labor Day: Monday, Sept. 2
Labor Day is the perfect way to say goodbye to the summer. It's automatically a three-day weekend for most workers, but if you take leave on Friday too you have an opportunity for a quick four-day trip.
Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Which summer holidays can become three-day weekends or long vacations?
