Take More Vacation Time Off

Dates to Take Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Holidays Off

Have you requested paid time off for the end-of-year holidays in 2022? Since the company holiday dates of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s change each year, check your calendar to request vacation days before it’s too late. Whether you can afford to travel far or prefer a staycation close to home, you’ll want to use up all of your accrued vacation days. Even if you can’t take every hour of PTO in 2022, follow the company rules to roll-over leftover days into 2023. This is your reminder to map out how you are going to leverage your November and December official holidays at work to maximize your vacation time off.

Are you ready to open your calendar and start tracking your paid time off usage? You can use Google or Apple or the Microsoft Outlook calendar on your phone or desktop computer as many do. Or try try the free VacationCounts web app to store your paid time off benefits (including the list of official company holidays) and allocate days to future vacations. This way you will always know how many days you have left at any point in the year. Regardless of how you track your work and non-work days, plan ahead to turn holidays into long weekend or full weeks. You deserve to be rewarded for working so hard all year.

Bonus Tip: The Black Friday day after Thanksgiving American (and now global) shopping “holiday” is a great opportunity to get an early deal on your next vacation. Search for travel sales happening on Black Friday and Cyber Monday to book a trip during for 2023.

How to Take Your End of 2022 Vacation Days

You will need to consider the total number of vacation hours remaining according to your most recent paycheck stub, the roll-over policy at your employer, and the list of holidays recognized at work. The last two months of the year include a handful of company holidays and with it the opportunity to turn one or two “free” holidays into a full week (or even two) of vacation!

Here is the official List of U.S. Holidays left for the last two months of the year along with advice on how to leverage each holiday to maximize your time off from work. Regardless of whether you take time off for family, travel, or enrichment during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays, now is when you must put your plans in motion. Are all your vacations days and PTO accounted for?

Checklist: Turn 2022 Holidays into Vacation Opportunities

Take Off Holiday Calendar Checkmarks

To make the most of your company closures as the end of the year approaches, follow this step-by-step guide to take more holiday time off. Since taking off a week of vacation during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s holiday periods is very popular, you’ll want to act before it’s too late.

  1. Check your most recent paycheck stub or login to the HR employee benefits portal to view and calculate the exact number of vacation days you have left to use in 2022.
  2. Double check your HR employee handbook to determine how many days (if any) you can rollover into 2023 in case you decide to extend your New Year’s holiday into January.
  3. Consult your company list of official holidays to see if you have one or two days each for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.
  4. Is the holiday period a busy time where you work? Find out about alternative days off you are entitled to overtime pay or time off in lieu for working on an official holiday.
  5. Review the terms of your time off software system whether it is on a work portal, shared company calendar, or paper forms. You want to verify limitations on when you can take vacation days at year end.  For example your company may have a whoever-asks-first or seniority policy regarding vacation day requests if everyone can’t be absent at the same time.
  6. Read the rest of this travel hack article to decide how many vacation days you wish to use to pad your Thanksgiving, Christmas and/or New Year’s holiday weeks to enjoy extended time off.
  7. Put in your vacation requests as soon as possible to get them approved and on the company calendar.
  8. Inform your team members and co-workers just like when you are taking vacation days during other months of the year.
  9. Once approved, start planning for whatever it is that will help you live life to the fullest during the festive holiday season. For those who want to travel to visit family or take a break, it’s never too early to look for deals on booking flights and hotels in popular destinations.
Paycheck Stub Sample with Vacation Hours

Consult this government website for the U.S. federal list of holidays for 2022 or a more comprehensive list of Holidays and Observances in the United States at the Time and Date site.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Official Holidays for 2022

🦃Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 24, 2022

Thanksgiving Day arrives on the 24th of November this year. Employees in America can be assured that most companies offer a full day off with businesses and government offices closed. Of course those in retail (brick and mortar or online) are preparing for the crazy AFTER Thanksgiving holiday sales. For you it may be a stressful time leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday both at work and at home.

My advice on traveling by trains, planes, and automobiles (movie pun intended) varies based on where you live and the likelihood of stormy weather or traffic delays. Search online for advice for your home town, final destination and mode of transport. Thanksgiving should be a joyous time to travel whether for a family trip or family vacation. My tip is to stay positive despite crowds and delays and also be mindful about traveling during this stressful holiday period.

International Travel Idea: Read about Traveling to Europe for Thanksgiving as an alternative to staying in the USA for a traditional family feast. There are many good reasons to take a European trip in November.

🛍️Day After Thanksgiving – Friday, November 25, 2022

The Friday after may also be a paid holiday at your place of business, but it is definitely not as widespread as it should be in America. While many employers offer the day after Thanksgiving off, those working in retail and hospitality will find themselves as busy at work as ever.

Even if you do not have the day after Thanksgiving as an official company holiday, Americans should consider allocating one of their PTO days to turn the official “day of thanks” holiday into a four-day weekend. The kick-off to the Christmas and holiday shopping period is both a fun and stressful time for many. So why head right back to work when you can spend quality time away from the office.

For those of you who are fortunate to get this day off, consider the perspective of people who are forced to work.  Give them a bit of slack, be patient, and thank them for making your day off enjoyable while they are forced to work on Black Friday.

🎄Christmas Eve – Saturday, December 24, 2022

This year Christmas Eve arrives on a Saturday with Christmas Day of course happening on the Sunday. That complicates things as to when you’ll have a paid holiday off at your job. From a quick search it seems like many companies are offering Friday the 23rd as the make-up holiday date. Check your employee benefits portal to find out for sure.

Since Christmas Day is the only U.S. federal holiday on the calendar, only some employers offer Christmas eve as a bonus work holiday. As you can guess, productivity goes way down on the days leading up to Christmas. Therefore a paid day for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off would be smart HR policy. Consider asking for this day off if you have vacation days to spare. It’s a great way to start your Christmas celebrations early and have more flexibility if you need to travel far during this busy period.

Christmas Holiday - December 24 and 25, 2010 - Calendar Entry

🎁Christmas Day – Sunday, December 25, 2022

It is safe to assume that most full-time employees receive Christmas Day off with some exceptions for people in essential health and safety roles. At minimum staffing level must be maintained in jobs such as police, fire, hospital, emergency services and those in transportation (like the staff running the airport). Remember to give thanks as they would rather be home or traveling like you!

With Christmas on a Sunday this year, your employer will most likely offer Monday the 26th as the replacement company holiday. Check with the employee benefit docs to verify your 2022 holiday schedule so you can mark your shared family calendar. It’s possible that you may get two days off for Christmas, either Friday and Monday or Monday and Tuesday. The latter is preferred if you want to be able to use just three vacation days to take the final week of the year off.

Well before this date, calculate how many vacation days, floating or personal days, or bonus time off in lieu you have remaining to take before the end of 2022. A bit of PTO usage flexibility will help during the chaotic Christmas season. You’ll want to try to avoid the busiest days for travel to your destination as well as return home.

🎉New Year’s Eve – Saturday, December 31, 2022

Similar to Christmas Eve compared with Christmas Day, many employers only offer the latter official holiday date and not the “Eve” the day before. If you are fortunate to get two days off for New Years, you’re in luck! It’s no fun to work on New Year’s Eve when you are itching to get out of the office and start your countdown to 2023 (bust out the champagne!). Check your posted holiday time off list to double check whether you get off the last day of the year or also the first of the New Year.

Unfortunately (as you can guess) New Year’s Eve also falls on a Saturday this year which feels like a missing out. For those that have are supposed to have both the 31st and the 1st off from work, your employer will likely give you Friday the 30th as a holiday. That scheduling makes the most sense in order to keep the holiday date in the same calendar year.

Even if you don’t have off on Friday the 30th, consider requesting it as your final day off for 2022 instead of rolling it over into 2023. Using up all your earned vacation days and having an extended weekend to ring in the New Year is a winning work-life balance combination.

📅New Year’s Day – Sunday, January 1, 2023

While you might think of New Year’s Day as the first holiday of 2023, I prefer to think of it as the last holiday of 2022. Many people take off the entire last week or two of the year and New Year’s Day is part of that free holiday equation. With the 1st of January on a Sunday, it’s up to your employer to decide when to offer a replacement day off. Typically that date will be on Monday the 2nd of January. Definitely consult your company calendar in order to plan your last or first annual holiday depending on your perspective. Most businesses are closed on January 1st, but we’ll see what happens on Monday the 2nd since the official date falls on a weekend.

To Rollover or Not To Rollover

Before the year is up, remember to review your company rollover policy in case it changed. You’ll want to know whether you can roll-over leftover days and the maximum number from 2022 to 2023. There might be a cap as to how many days you can bank from one year to the next. Rules vary greatly by company and each U.S. state has it’s own employment law to regulate pay and benefits.

No one wants to lose accrued paid time off – time that you earned by working full-time all year. Your choice is either to use up your PTO or get your rollover amount approved for next year. Keep in mind that if you started a new job this year or if you work part-time, it is possible that your accrual and vacation roll-over options may be limited. By asking your HR representative the right questions, you can maximize your time off in 2022 and every year.

Company Break Period – Forced Vacation Weeks

An article about company holidays during Christmas and New Years wouldn’t be complete with a mention of companies that close their doors during the holidays. There are a handful of businesses that have company-wide breaks each year. For example Adobe has both a summer and winter holiday, closing down entirely (except for essential operations of course) from December 23, 2022 until January 2, 2023.

If you work for an organization that has a company closure at the end of the year, make sure you know how those dates are treated. Are these paid vacation days on top of your annual paid time off benefits? Are non-exempt or part-time employees forced to use their PTO in order to get a paycheck? Is it possible to save your limited vacation days by taking unpaid leave that week? And if you work in a critical role, how do you arrange for an alternative break period, overtime, or make-up vacation days in the new year?

✈️Leverage Company Holidays to Take 1, 2, or 3 Vacations this November and December

Take Off Thanksgiving Christmas New Years Holidays

How many vacation days will it take to turn your Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s paid company holidays into a long weekend or full week of luxurious vacation time?  Do you have enough vacation days including floating holidays, personal days, and PTO hours left to take off the last two weeks of 2022 entirely? It’s entirely up to you how and when you want to use all of your vacation benefits without losing days you earned at your job.

I’ve been told that some people actually prefer to work over the holiday break especially when they hate traveling during the holidays or don’t have family obligations. The workplace will surely be quiet with few meetings to get in the way of getting things done. Consider this travel hack if you are planning a major trip early next year and need to both conserve vacation days and get a jump start on your work load. Maybe your boss will let you work on an official company holiday and earn a bonus day off to take in 2023 instead.


Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to VacationCounts readers!

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Scott (VacationCounts)

Scott (VacationCounts)

The Vacation Days Maximizer who delivers Work-Life-Vacation Balance advice so everyone can Take More Time Off.

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What's the difference - Vacation vs. Holiday
Time Off Benefits

What’s the Difference Between Vacation and Holiday?

Do you want to “take a vacation” or “go on holiday”? The difference between the words vacation and holiday are not always clear. It depends on where you live and work so find out when to use which in a sentence. If you are an American taking time off to travel you will say that you are taking a vacation. In the UK and most other English-speaking countries, going on holiday is what it’s called. Learn the history and usage of the terms vacation and holiday.

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