The end of the year is a pleasant surprise. Even 18 days off?

The end of 2025 brings an exceptionally favorable calendar arrangement, which gives employees the opportunity to effectively plan their holidays. Experts emphasize that the strategic use of days off allows for longer rest with minimal use of vacation days.

– In many companies, planning holidays at the end of the year begins in autumn, and interest in holiday dates is traditionally very high. This is the optimal time to plan a longer vacation, while minimizing the use of vacation days. It is worth taking this into account now, before the most popular dates are booked – notes Piotr Juszczyk, Chief Tax Advisor at inFakt.

November – the month with the fewest working days

November 2025 will be one of the months with the fewest working days – only 18. For comparison, July has as many as 23. This is especially important for employees planning shorter breaks or extended weekends.

– It is worth noting that November 1 (All Saints’ Day) falls on a Saturday, which means that the employee will gain an additional day off to be taken on another date, e.g. on November 10. Combined with the National Independence Day on November 11 (Tuesday), it is possible to obtain a four-day weekend from November 8 to 11 – suggests Piotr Juszczyk.

Effective planning of holidays and vacations

Christmas Eve falls on Wednesday, and the following holidays – on Thursday and Friday, which creates the possibility of a five-day holiday. By strategically using vacation time, an employee can significantly extend their rest time at the end of December.

– Just plan your vacation for December 22 and 23 to get time off from December 20 to 28, i.e. nine days in total. With only two days of leave, this is an extremely effective way to plan the end of the year, says Juszczyk.

Maximize your days off until early January

The expert indicates that the leave can be extended even until the beginning of January 2026. Planning ahead allows employees to have longer rest with limited use of vacation days, which is beneficial for both the employee and the company.

– By requesting an additional five days of leave, from December 29 to 31 and January 2 and 5, the total free time will be as much as 18 days. In practice, this means rest from December 20, 2025 to January 7, 2026, using only seven days of leave – emphasizes the expert.