Bank holidays for 2022: get the most out of them!

They say we're all just working for the weekend. Unfortunately, it's hard to get that much out of just two days. You need time to rest and get your life organised before heading back to work on Monday.

Since we can't get as much annual leave as we might like, it makes sense to take full advantage of our bank holidays. 

If you just take a little time to plan ahead, you'll be enjoying fantastic trips during bank holidays next year that will make you the envy of the office. Read on to learn more about holidays in the UK and in the US for 2022.

Life is short, make the most out of bank holidays

Sure, you could stay at home watching footy or whatever tickles your fancy. But let's be honest. When you're older and looking back on your life, how many of your bank holidays were truly memorable?

It's never too late to start living your best life. Let's look at when bank holidays are and the best places to visit if you are living in the UK or in the United States.

Mark the bank holidays on your calendar

Be careful not to wait too long to plan a bank holiday weekend. If you forget until the week before, it may be too late to plan anything too ambitious, and this can cause chaos at the office. Fortunately, kiwHR's absence management software includes all bank holidays and it's ideal for scheduling around bank holidays and long weekends. Here are some suggestions to help you plan your holidays and long weekends for the whole 2022 year:

UK bank holidays 2022

Nationwide

These bank holidays are the same in England, Wales, Scotland and Nothern Ireland.

New Year's Day Saturday, January 1st and New Year Holiday Monday January 3rd

• Tuesday, January 4th - Friday, January 7th

Good Friday Friday, April 15th

• Monday April 11th - Thursday April 14th

Early May bank holiday (VE day) Monday, May 2th

• Tuesday, May 3rd - Friday, May 6th

Spring bank holiday Thursday, June 2nd and Platinum Jubilee Friday, June 3rd

• Monday, May 30th - Wednesday, June 1st

Christmas day Sunday December 25th and Boxing day Monday, December 26th and Christmas Holiday Tuesday, December 27th

• Wednesday, December 28th - Friday, December 30th

Scotland bank holidays 2022

Additional bank holidays only for Scotland.

January 2nd (substitute day) Tuesday, January 4th

• Wednesday, January 5th - Friday, January 7th

August bank holiday Monday, August 1st

• Tuesday, August 2nd - Friday, August 5th

St. Andrew's day Wednesday, November 30th

• Thursday, December 1st - Friday, December 2nd

Northern Ireland bank holidays 2022

Additional bank holidays only for Nothern Ireland.

St. Patrick's day Thursday, March 17th

• Monday, March 14th - Wednesday, March 16th

Battle of the Boyne Tuesday, July 12th

• Wednesday, July 13th - Friday, July 15th

England, Wales and Nothern Ireland bank holidays 2022

Additional bank holidays for the UK, with the exception of Scotland.

Easter Monday Monday April 18th

• Tuesday, April 19th - Friday, April 22nd

August bank holiday Monday, August 29th

• Tuesday, August 30th - Friday, September 2nd

Quarter #1 of the year

New Year's Day of 2022 unfortunately fell on Saturday, but thanks to the New Year Holiday on Monday, January 3rd, it is possible to take advantage of a long weekend. For the Scots is even better because they get the Tuesday off as well. Moving on, we will enjoy a whopping four day weekend, thanks to Good Friday and Easter Monday. They fall on the 15th and the 18th of April, respectively. For the Nothern Irish, there is also the St. Patrick's day on a Thursday, March 17th.

These are both popular holidays in the UK for travel, so be sure to book ahead of time.

May and June

In May and June there are two UK bank holidays that create long weekends. The Early May bank holiday, or VE day, falls on Sunday, May 8th, so it was moved to be celebrated on Monday, May 2nd. Then there is the Spring bank holiday on Thursday, June 2nd combined with the Platinum Jubilee on Friday, June 3rd.

Summer done right

Who says you can't enjoy a summer vacation in the UK? OK, maybe you won't get the hot sunny days or the exotic locales like Costa Rica, but there are several summer UK holidays that will give us a few long weekends.

North Ireland celebrates The Twelfth to commemorate the Battle of the Boyne on Tuesday, July 12th. Monday, August 1st is when Scotland celebrates Spring bank holiday. The rest of the UK otherwise celebrates it on Monday, August 29th.

This is a popular bank holiday weekend that allows many people a chance to explore one of the lovely coastal regions the UK has to offer.

Closing out the year

Christmas will fall on the weekend but the Boxing Day will ne on a Monday. The Scottish will celebrate St. Andrew's day on Wednesday, November 30th, but that's about it for bank holidays.

US bank holidays 2022

New Year's Day Saturday, January 1st

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, January 17th

George Washington’s Birthday Monday, February 21st

Memorial Day Monday, May 30th

Independence Day Monday, July 4th

Labor Day Monday, September 5th

Columbus Day Monday, October 10th

Veterans Day Friday, November 11th

Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 24th

Christmas day Sunday December 25th

Create your own four day weekend

Most 2022 public holidays in the United States fall on Mondays or a Friday. If a three day weekend is not enough, take advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday to have a four day weekend:

Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 24th

• Friday, November 25th

Make the most of your bank holidays

Now you have several options to spend your bank holidays in 2022. You really should take a chance to talk to some of your close family and friends to see when you can coordinate a trip — you certainly have enough time and take full advantage of the Monday bank holidays if you start planning soon!

If you are an HR manager, you need to know about kiwiHR. It's the perfect HR system for scheduling around long weekends and many other workplace dilemmas.

Simplifying HR processes is easier said than done. Know how we get it done by starting your kiwiHR free trial!