Maximizing Your PTO days for this Year

On 1January2025
By Heather

Northern Lights in Fairbanks, Alaska - PTO Days

New Year and an empty calendar, what to do? This is the time to start planning your year including your PTO days, especially on the National Plan for Vacation Day, the last Tuesday in January. One of the happiest moments for me is when I’m planning my next vacation. While working, maximizing my PTO (paid time off) days for the year was always a struggle. First, it wasn’t easy to find days to take off since it was always busy, and I was expected to be there. Second, it seemed that I was on call even when I was on vacation. How do you get the most out of your vacation and PTO days for 2025?

To maximize your paid time off for 2025, use the federal holidays as a guide to start planning your vacations. Most people get, on average, 2 weeks of vacation a year, including federal holidays; if you pick your time off wisely, you can expand it. Start with the holidays, and add vacation days on either side of them to make three-day weekends or longer. If you don’t receive time off on all these federal holidays, choose your PTO around the days you recieve.

Table of Contents

PTO Days for 2025

We have already missed New Year’s Day for January, but if you request the 2nd and 3rd off, you’ll enjoy a lovely five-day weekend. The next holiday in January is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday on January 20. Pick Friday, January 17, off to get four consecutive days off, which could come in handy to recover from the recent holiday season. In February, choose Valentine’s Day, February 14, for a long weekend, including Presidents Day on February 17.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising, Michigan

During the summer, most employees have Memorial Day, May 26, off. Ask for Friday, May 23, to enjoy a four-day weekend. On one of the newer federal holidays, Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19, you can have another four-day weekend you can have another four-day weekend if you add Friday, June 20. Add Monday, July 7, to your PTO for a long four-day weekend over Independence Day. The last four-day summer weekend can happen over Labor Day by adding Friday, August 29, to your time off list.

Paint Creek Trail in Michigan during Autumn

There are a couple more potential four-day weekends in the fall for you to capitalize on. If your company recognizes Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, October 13, include Friday, October 10, in your PTO days. The other one is around Veterans Day, November 11; by adding Monday, November 10, you can have your last four-day weekend of 2025.

To maximize your time off during the holiday season, ask for Monday, November 24, through Wednesday, November 26, and Friday, November 28, off. This will give you nine days off to spend with your family or take a fun vacation somewhere new. For Christmas, ask for Monday, December 22, through Wednesday, December 24, and Friday, December 26, to have another nine days off for the holiday season.

Summary

Playing the game to maximize your PTO days for 2025 is all about planning; by requesting the above 16 PTO days, you’ll have 55 days off. And that is a lot of days off; you can enjoy traveling to see family, take a vacation, or stay home because there is nothing wrong with a staycation. Whatever you choose, make sure to use those vacation days. Don’t let them go to waste!

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Author

Heather

Wanted to create a blog to share my crazy travel stories, either traveling solo or with my family. Plus to share my photos of my adventures!
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