Your Bosses DO NOT Want You To Know These PTO Tips!

You’ve been taking time off all wrong!

For 2025, here is one way to take time off if you want to make the most of major federal holidays:

• President’s Day (Monday, Feb. 17)Take Feb. 14 off, so one vacation day becomes four days off in a row (Feb. 14-17).
• Memorial Day (Monday, May 26)Take May 23 off, so one vacation day becomes four days off (May 23-26).
• Juneteenth (Thursday, June 19)Take June 20 off, so one vacation day becomes four days off (June 19-22).
• Independence Day (Friday, July 4)Take July 3, so one vacation day becomes four days off (July 3-6).
• Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 1)Take Aug. 29 off, so one vacation day becomes four days off (Aug. 29-Sept. 1).
• Indigenous People’s Day (Monday, Oct. 13)Take Oct. 10 off, so one vacation day becomes four days off (Oct. 10-13).
• Veterans Day (Tuesday, Nov. 11)Take Nov. 10 off, so one vacation day becomes four days off (Nov. 8-11)
• Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 27)Take Nov. 28 off, so one vacation day becomes four days off (Nov. 27-30).
• Christmas Day (Thursday, Dec. 25)Take Dec. 22-24 and the 26th off, so four vacation days becomes nine days off (Dec. 20-28).

Keep in mind these perennial viral “PTO hacks” that promise to “turn 13 days of PTO into 45 days off” only work if your job recognizes federal holidays (or at least, all federal holidays).