Leave is important to employees. It keeps them refreshed to continue being productive. Find some valuable tips on how you can maximize your annual leave.
If you are a regularized worker in Ghana who has completed at least 200 days or one full year of service in your company, you are basically entitled to at least 15 days of annual leave. The number of days may be higher depending on your employer, but the law requires only at least 15 days for each employee.
Ghana’s 15-day annual leave rule seems puny when compared to other countries such as Australia, which grants employees at least 20 days of annual leave. The good news however is that, your annual leave is not affected whenever you skip work because of a medical condition (including pregnancy), and public holidays are not also counted as a part of this.
Furthermore, your entitlement to an annual leave cannot be negotiated in favor of your employer. Any agreement to renounce an annual leave in consideration of monetary compensation (or any compensation), is essentially void.
Since you only have a 15-day window for annual leave each year, it is important to plot these intended leave days ahead so you can maximize your free time and plan out your activities well on these days. Here are a few tips you can use:
1. Schedule your leave right before or after a public holiday.
Public holidays include Independence Day, Holy Week, Christmas, May Day and many more (you can check out this list for reference). During public holidays, employees automatically don’t have to go to work – and it will not be credited from your annual leave.
However, if you want to experience a really long “weekend” or rest day, you can plot your annual leave right before or after a public holiday. So for example, Independence Day this year falls on March 6, which is a Monday – you can start your leave by March 7 (Tuesday) or if you like, you can even start on Friday, March 3. This way, it would seem like you have a lengthier break, but your annual leave credit is not affected with the public holiday in between.
2. If you can’t use a holiday, plot your leave to start on a Monday or Friday.
If you want to go on leave on a certain month that has no holiday in sight, you can make use of weekends to make your break seem lengthier. There are two ways to do this, either you start your leave several days before the weekend, or several days after the weekend – the point is you get a no-pause break without necessarily wasting an annual leave credit since weekends are not counted as a business day.
3. Mind special days that you may celebrate with a loved one.
With only 15 days in your annual leave, it is important to plot them on days that are personally important to you and your family. Your wife’s birthday, a daughter or son’s birthday, anniversaries, and the like. If these occasions fall on a Friday (or even Thursday), then it would be much better as you can gain a no-pause break up until the weekend.
4. Be mindful of the season/weather of your planned day of leave.
If you have several trips or activities planned out for the year, be sure that these plans would coincide with the weather. Before planning a beach trip or hiking activity on a certain month, make sure the usual temperature on that time of the year is favorable – otherwise, your leave might be wasted due to canceled plans.
5. Plan a mission or activity ahead of your days off.
Taking a day off does not always have to be about celebrating a special private occasion, or going out on a trip, you can also make use of some free time to process personal documents in a government agency (like applying for a passport/visa), go on a seminar or conference for personal development, or simply unwinding in a coffee shop to read a good book. As long as you spent your leave on something productive, or something that makes you happy and feel good, then the day is not really wasted.
Author Bio:
Gemma Reeves is a seasoned writer who enjoys creating helpful articles and interesting stories. She has worked with several clients across different industries such as advertising, online marketing, technology, healthcare, family matters, and more. She is also an aspiring entrepreneur who is engaged in assisting other aspiring entrepreneurs in finding the best office space for their business.
Check out her company here: FindMyWorkspace
