Make the Most of Your Paid Time Off
Planning your PTO for 2026 can help you unlock more rest, more travel, and more long weekends without using your entire PTO balance. Federal holidays fall in great spots this year. As a result, you can stretch a few well placed days off into meaningful breaks that feel like real vacations.
If you want to check the official federal holiday schedule for 2026, you can reference the United States Office of Personnel Management, USA.gov, or Time and Date.
- https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays
- https://www.usa.gov/holidays
- https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/2026
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January
First, start the year with intentional rest. New Year’s Day falls on Thursday, which creates an easy opportunity to enjoy a long weekend.
New Year’s Day
• Take Friday January 2 off
Result: 4 day weekend
Next, you can look forward to MLK Day. This holiday always lands on a Monday which gives you a built in long weekend. If you prefer to extend it further, one PTO day is all you need.
MLK Day
• Take Friday January 16 off
Result: 4 day weekend
February
As winter continues, Presidents Day provides another simple planning moment. It is a Monday holiday which makes long weekend travel easier.
Presidents Day
• Take Tuesday February 17 off
Result: 4 day weekend
May
Moving into late spring, Memorial Day creates one of the best PTO opportunities of the entire year. You can choose a short reset or a full week away.
Memorial Day
Option A
• Take Tuesday May 26 off
Result: 4 day weekend
Option B
• Take May 26 through May 29 off
Result: 9 day vacation
June
As summer approaches, Juneteenth offers another great chance to extend your rest. It falls on a Friday which gives you a natural long weekend.
Juneteenth
• Take Thursday June 18 off
Result: 4 day weekend
July
Next, Independence Day is observed on Friday July 3. This is one of the strongest PTO opportunities in 2026.
Independence Day
Option A
• Take Monday July 6 off
Result: 4 day weekend
Option B
• Take July 6 through July 9 off
Result: 9 day vacation
September
As fall begins, Labor Day continues the trend of Monday holidays that are easy to stretch.
Labor Day
• Take Friday September 4 off
Result: 4 day weekend
October
Later in the season, Indigenous Peoples Day or Columbus Day may be recognized by your company. This can be a perfect time for a short fall getaway.
Indigenous Peoples Day
• Take Tuesday October 13 off
Result: 4 day weekend
November
As the year winds down, November brings two opportunities to maximize your PTO.
First is Veterans Day. Since it falls on Wednesday, you can create a midweek break or a longer extended weekend.
Veterans Day
Option A
• Take Tuesday November 10 off
Result: midweek reset
Option B
• Take November 12 and 13 off
Result: 5 day break
Next comes Thanksgiving. Since it always falls on Thursday, you can easily create more space to relax.
Thanksgiving
Option A
• Take Friday November 27 off
Result: 4 day weekend
Option B
• Take November 23 through November 25 off
Result: 9 day vacation
December
Finally, close out the year with calm and intention. Christmas falls on Friday December 25 which makes it one of the simplest holidays to extend.
Christmas
Option A
• Take Monday December 28 off
Result: 4 day weekend
Option B
• Take December 28 through December 31 off
Result: 10 day break
Final Thoughts
In summary, a few smart PTO choices can significantly improve your year. With as few as 10 PTO days, you can enjoy longer weekends, extended vacations, and real time to unplug. Overall, planning ahead helps you protect your work life balance and gives you the space to rest fully in 2026.
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