How do you do it?

[CampAround]

Get time off work that is...

I have been reading about people's trips, past, present and proposed and I wonder how so many get so much time off work? I only get the standard 4 weeks each year, and that is easily swolled up with the xmas holidays and a few etended long weekends each year. I also take some days of each annual leave block as unpaid to try and stretch my tally but I still have nothing.

So how do you do it? I am very envious at the moment.
 
Of course, retirees need not reply. As don't the self employed.

[Mace]

My employer offers 50/52 or 48/52 work time fractions.

Im currently on 50/52, giving me six weeks leave a year.  Im going onto 48/52 next year, which will give me 8 weeks leave.

You are actually buying back an extra 2 or 4 weeks leave.

After tax, my extra 2 weeks leave currently costs me about $35 per week.

Its a great system.

 

[austastar]

Hi,
  well I'm retired now, but during my employment had 3 long service leaves. Two were on long mainland trips, one was to build a house.
I would often back annual leave segments together to get more than the 4 weeks.
Some times the opportunity for time in lieu would arise, not often though.
Taking leave to bridge public holidays and long weekends will work some years.
Other wise it is a matter of plan and pack during the working week and get away on Friday night and hope it is not a wet pack up on Sunday.
cheers

[cetacean]

I do shift work and on-call work and have Fridays off,so every weekend is a long one for me.
4 weeks A/L, A few RDO'S, a couple of weeks leave without pay and there'es plenty of time to get away. Plus I often work over the xmas and easter breaks as I'd rather have time off when the camp grounds aren't so crowded.
Next year's 6 month trip; 20 weeks long service at half pay, 4 weeks A/L and 2 weeks leave without pay. Yeh good !

Darryl

[Mace]

Another option, which I used to do years ago:

I had qualified for long service leave (with a government agency) - ten years plus.

Each year, I used to take my usual 4 weeks leave, then also take 2 weeks long service leave on half pay.

The net effect was that my LSL owing total slightly increased every year from then on. I retained my overall LSL balance.

 

[CampAround]

I do shift work and on-call work and have Fridays off,so every weekend is a long one for me.
4 weeks A/L, A few RDO'S, a couple of weeks leave without pay and there'es plenty of time to get away. Plus I often work over the xmas and easter breaks as I'd rather have time off when the camp grounds aren't so crowded.
Next year's 6 month trip; 20 weeks long service at half pay, 4 weeks A/L and 2 weeks leave without pay. Yeh good !

Darryl

Sounds like you have it all worked out. Unfortunately I don't get rdo's, but I suppose I could put money away each salary to create my own..
Plus my long service leave only recently started again due to my previous employer going into liquidation.

[CampAround]

Another option, which I used to do years ago:

I had qualified for long service leave (with a government agency) - ten years plus.

Each year, I used to take my usual 4 weeks leave, then also take 2 weeks long service leave on half pay.

The net effect was that my LSL owing total slightly increased every year from then on. I retained my overall LSL balance.

 

Sounds good. I also like the idea of the original option you mentioned. Did they already have it in place or did you have ot hit them up for it? I suppose it's the same as me putting money away each salary then taking time without pay and using the money I saved to pay my salary during that time, if that makes sense.

[CampAround]

Hi,
  well I'm retired now,

Lucky bugger. Is retirement really like the time we all expect it to be?

Some good ideas so far. Extending long weekends is what I have been doing.

[DannyG]

My employer offers 50/52 or 48/52 work time fractions.

Im currently on 50/52, giving me six weeks leave a year.  Im going onto 48/52 next year, which will give me 8 weeks leave.

You are actually buying back an extra 2 or 4 weeks leave.

After tax, my extra 2 weeks leave currently costs me about $35 per week.

Its a great system.

 

Wish mine would do that!

I only get the standard 4 weeks annual leave but I have also been there 12 years so I use (whats left) of my long service in dribs and drabs but this also accumulates so that gives us an extra week a year. Plus of course they give us 10 days sick/career leave which I wouldnt use unless I was genuinely sick.......sick of work

But seriously, 5 weeks genuine leave and long service leave.. I'm sure we all have scammed the odd day or two during the year sick leave though

I have worked out if I plan my holidays cleverly I can have the usual 2-3 weeks off over xmas/new year locally (lots of public holidays in that), a bit of a break at Easter, the odd day or 3 off during the year when things arise like a sickness and still should be able to have a full 4-6 weeks off over winter using some of my long service as well. That's the theory anyway.

[Mace]

They have had it for many years, higher education.  Similar to how teachers get paid for their school holiday breaks.

Management actually like the idea, as it saves on salaries.  Pretty popular with them due to the current budget cuts.

Once youve got into the swing of it, you dont miss the $$.

 

[whitey1]

When I was working full time I just took my holidays and if need be took time off without pay. When we did the CSR a couple of years ago I took 6 weeks off. I think it was 3 paid and 3 unpaid.

[TOPNDR]

I don't get public holidays off, nor set weekends, being more or less a shift worker. I do get 42 days (6 weeks) leave per annum.  Some years for whatever reason, we don't take a holiday, so the leave accrues.  Currently I've got about 3 weeks stored up, but back in '10/'11 we took 10 weeks Apr-Jun 2010, and another 8 weeks Jan/Feb '11.

Fan bloody tastic I reckon, and I've proved to myself that I'm ready to become a grey nomad!   

[Malcur]

I have been in my current job for about 12 years. Didn't take much leave (only 2 weeks a year, so accrued the rest to build up to about 10 weeks). Then I bought the Prado & CT and decided to start taking long weekends to go camping. Plus of course I started taking the full 4 weeks to go on extended trips. This worked so well that now I am down to 3 weeks leave left. But I retire in 4 weeks, so don't mind too much. Ready to join the ranks of the grey nomads!!

Mal

[cruisindub]

To take a longer extended time off, I have to quit my job and look for a new one onceready to go back to work.
Get Just 4 weeks leave per year, and usually split that between my wife's family and my family during that time, so most of the time we only see each of our family every other year.
I also have to takeannual leave for any personal training that may be required, courses etc.
That means some years I don't take a holiday and dont see family.
Like now unfortunately,  I have to quit, to take extended leave. We now have 11 months into a year off work, and now start to look for another job.
some friends are on 3 on 3 off. (Months)  2 on 1 off.  Different set ups. I'm not there yet.still too far down the ladder. For me,and my wife, (same industry)  its quit the job and hope you have enough savings to last till next job comes along.

[CampAround]

To take a longer extended time off, I have to quit my job and look for a new one onceready to go back to work.
Get Just 4 weeks leave per year, and usually split that between my wife's family and my family during that time, so most of the time we only see each of our family every other year.
I also have to takeannual leave for any personal training that may be required, courses etc.
That measure some years I don't take a holiday and dont see family.
Like now unfortunately,  I have to quit, to take extended leave. We now have 11 months into a year off work, and now start to look for another job.
some friends are on 3 on 3 off. (Months)  2 on 1 off.  Different set ups. I'm not there yet.still too far down the ladder. For me,and my wife, (same industry)  its quit the job and hope you have enough savings to last till next job comes along.

What line of work / industry are you in?

[Teabag]

I get 37 days leave a year which is 7 weeks and 2 days......I'm currently owed about 12 weeks annual leave......Plus, I have been with them for over 20 years so 6 months long service is also sitting in the bank.....

[KieranR]

I dont work full time...i contract out on projects, finish the contract, get the bonus payout and take as much time off as you desire, I finish next thursday!!

[DannyG]

I have been in my current job for about 12 years. Didn't take much leave (only 2 weeks a year, so accrued the rest to build up to about 10 weeks). Then I bought the Prado & CT and decided to start taking long weekends to go camping. Plus of course I started taking the full 4 weeks to go on extended trips. This worked so well that now I am down to 3 weeks leave left. But I retire in 4 weeks, so don't mind too much. Ready to join the ranks of the grey nomads!!

Mal

Half your luck congrats I hope it is everything we all dream it is

[cruisindub]

What line of work / industry are you in?

Both work in the yachting industry.

[Kit_e_kat9]

I don't.  I, like you, get 4 weeks a year (if I'm lucky) to have a holiday.  But of course it can't be when anyone else in the office has the same time off and I also have to work in the BF so he can tow the CT ... it's damn near impossible ... so I just don't.

What I like to do though is take as many Longer Weekends as possible.  If we aren't camping, then I'm sleeping in and taking things easy.

Kit_e

P.S.  Forgot to mention that the company I work for DOES NOT ALLOW MORE THAN 4 WEEKS LEAVE at any given time to be accummulated.  It totally sucks, but there is absolutely nothing I can do ... except quit I guess.  Even then 2 weeks of that is taken off me, as they pay me two weeks in advance and two weeks behind when they pay me mid month.  It totally sucks and I'm a bit peeved ... but they continue to nag me about having 4 weeks and 1 hour leave ... which gives me the sh*ts to say the least.

[gutters]

My 10 years of service with my current employer comes up in 32 days (who's counting). Next April I'll be taking my 3 months LSL and 7 weeks of annual leave I've been gradually accumulating so we can venture off on our big trip, can't wait. The hardest part for me is accruing the annual leave and not having more than 2 weeks off each year. To get around this we camp once every fortnight and have to make do with overnight or 2 night trips which is better than not getting away at all

[CampAround]

Some of these posts are making me feel much better.

[Riguez]

Can you access 'mental health' days? I used to work in a place where you had to have one of these now and then to keep yourself sane - it was common practice  it can create some good long weekends, particularly if it occurs on a monday. 

[austastar]

Lucky bugger. Is retirement really like the time we all expect it to be?

Hi,
   Yep, with some surprises, some good, some not so good.
I can't understand some chaps who retire and then get another job. Being free of the perpetual time commitment is such a relief.


cheers

[McGirr]

The joys of being in rest estate is that I can have as much time off with in reason but the downside is that I only get paid when I sell a property , no long service , no holiday pay.

It can be hard to plan a holiday as you do not know what income will come in to put aside.

Not many people can take the pressure of not knowing when your next pay will be and when.

Mark