Latest news with #EasterMonday
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
How to DOUBLE your days off in 2026 with only 27 days annual leave
Find out the exact dates you need to book to get more days off HOLI-YAY How to DOUBLE your days off in 2026 with only 27 days annual leave Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WORKERS can get double their annual leave days off next year if they're savvy with when they book. It doesn't take much to maximise your annual leave allowance - you just need to know the exact dates to take off. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Getting smart with your annual leave booking could help you get more days off in a row Credit: Shutterstock Travel experts at have worked out what you need to do to get a huge 59 days off work in 2026 - using just 27 days of annual leave. Most employees who work a five-day week are entitled to at least 28 days' paid annual leave per year. If you receive less it might be because your employer includes bank holidays in your 28-day entitlement. The key to getting longer breaks is to use the bank holidays carefully. More on holidays PARK UP The 7 cheapest caravan sites for a week's family holiday Ideally you should submit your leave requests quickly to make sure they get approved. Remember, your employer isn't obligated to give you specific days off - but it's worth seeing what you can get. Here's what you should do... Easter Weekend You can get a substantial 16-day break if you use Good Friday on April 3 and Easter Monday on April 6. These are the days to book off: Monday, March 30 Tuesday, March 31 Wednesday, April 1 Thursday, April 2 Tuesday, April 7 Wednesday, April 8 Thursday, April 9 Friday, April 10. Five stunning, little-known holiday destinations You'll need eight days of annual leave for this but in total you'll have 16 days off. You would be off between Saturday March 28 and Sunday April 12. Early May Bank Holiday You can land yourself a nine-day break by using the Early May Bank Holiday. You'll need to book off: Tuesday, May 5 Wednesday, May 6 Thursday, May 7 Friday, May 8 That means you'll only need to use four days of annual leave to be off from Saturday, May 2 until Sunday, May 10. Spring Bank Holiday You can use the same tactic for the second bank holiday in May - meaning you'll get 18 days off in one month. You would book off: Tuesday, May 26 Wednesday, May 27 Thursday, May 28 Friday, May 29 Again you'll just need four days off and it will take you from Saturday, May 23 to Sunday, May 31. Summer Bank Holiday If you're wanting to catch the last of the summer weather, you can book off the first week of September after the late August bank holiday (Monday, August 31). You should book off: Tuesday, September 1 Wednesday, September 2 Thursday, September 3 Friday, September 4 Booking off these four days will get you nine days off in a row. You'll have Saturday, August 29 until Sunday, September 6 off. Christmas holidays Booking around Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day could get you 16 days off work in a row. These are the days you should take off: Monday, December 21 Tuesday, December 22 Wednesday, December 23 Thursday, December 24 Tuesday, December 29 Wednesday, December 30 Thursday, December 31 This uses seven days of annual leave but you'll be off all the way from Saturday, December 19 until Sunday, January 3 2027.
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Median house price drops again to $763k, sales taking longer, Reinz Monthly Property Report shows
And while the number of properties sold jumped by 8.9% month-to-month and the number of listings rose by 2.9%, the median number of days to sell them has increased. The median national house price in May is $763,000. Photo / Michael Craig The median number of days it is taking to sell houses is 47, increasing by three days since last May. Focusing on Auckland only, houses were taking a median of 46 days to sell, unchanged since last year. And the median price in Auckland specifically dropped 3.5% over the year. That puts the median house price in Auckland at $975,000 in May. Were public holidays in May to blame? Economists react Westpac senior economist Michael Gordon said the report showed 'signs of improving momentum in the New Zealand housing market in April didn't carry through'. Gordon pointed to a lower HPI increase in May, at 0.1%, compared with April's 0.4%. 'It's possible that public holidays had a lingering impact on the May figures, given that fewer-than-usual properties were brought to market in April,' he said. 'We've seen in the past that when Easter Monday and Anzac Day fall in the same week, this tends to be treated as an extended holiday period. 'That aside, though, we continue to see a modest response to the ongoing fall in fixed-term mortgage rates. Buyer interest is clearly running high, with mortgage applications still far above last year's levels.' Westpac senior economist Michael Gordon says the report shows "signs of improving momentum in the New Zealand housing market in April didn't carry through". 'But with a sizeable stock of unsold homes on the market, there has been limited upward pressure on prices to date.' ANZ senior economist Matthew Galt said a lid was being kept on house price growth by new listings and high inventories. 'Plenty of willing sellers have come forward recently and new listings and inventories remain high, keeping a lid on house price growth,' Galt said in a statement. 'Our forecast is that house prices will accelerate over the second half of the year in response to lower interest rates, to a monthly pace closer to 0.5% m/m [month on month]. However, with high-frequency economic activity indicators soft of late, and housing market indicators still going sideways for the most part, the risks are tilted towards slower house price inflation than this.' Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers business, breaking news and local stories from Tāmaki Makaurau. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
7NEWS
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Chris Scott taken to task over 'defence' Bailey Smith amid repeated controversies
Geelong coach Chris Scott says he has a 'different view' to that of Bailey Smith critics in the wake of a controversial start to his career at the Cattery. AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon personally drove down to Smith's house on the surf coast last week — a story broken by 7NEWS Melbourne's Mitch Cleary on Sunday — to discuss his behaviour on and off the field. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Caroline Wilson takes Chris Scott to task over Bailey Smith. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Of particular concern was a comment he made on social media which explicitly referenced taking drugs. The AFL opted not to penalise the explosive midfielder for the now-deleted Instagram comment, instead warning Smith that he would be sanctioned should a similar incident arise. Smith was fined for two separate obscene gestures to fans during Gather Round and Easter Monday matches this year. Caroline Wilson took Scott to task on Tuesday night's episode of The Agenda Setters over his defence of Smith, saying he has been too sympathetic of him. 'You've been incredibly defensive of him — I think too defensive,' she said. 'I know that you defend your players, and all coaches do that, but I was so disappointed that he equated winning a premiership with potentially going out and taking drugs. 'And obviously, sometimes, you must find yourself wondering how strong you have to be to stick up for your player and maybe put your principles aside, because I just don't believe that's something you would ever do.' Scott said it's something he has given great thought to. 'I think about it a lot. And I would just challenge your assertion that that's what he did,' he said. 'I think he responded to a troll in the way that modern day players respond to trolls. 'I think it was a joke and it should have been intended that way. 'Because of his history, that's why he gets targeted by these sorts of people and these sorts comments.' Wilson interjected: 'Andrew Dillon didn't think it was a joke.' To which Scott responded: 'No, but he's entitled to his opinion as well. 'I would challenge that as well; I think they understand that it was a joke that fell flat. 'And Bailey understood almost immediately that that was something that he shouldn't have done. 'Our fundamental position on this is that we've got to remember that he's 23 — and other players that we've brought in as well — we were never taking the position that these guys were going to be perfect, and so we knew that we needed to ride with the punches a little bit. 'I think it comes back to how you think about changing behaviour.' Scott was at pains to make the distinction that what the club says publicly about the issue is different to how they're treating it internally. 'Why would you take the position that our football club just thought, 'No, no, that's fine — we'll just let that slide',' Scott said to Wilson. 'Just because we don't come out publicly and embarrass our players and rub salt into the wounds, doesn't mean that that conversation hasn't been had. 'And now you know that even Andrew Dillon's recognised the importance of Bailey to the game, and I think it's reinforced how important the game is to Bailey as well. And I think you'll see a change in this sort of behaviour which, in my view, is right at the margin, in terms of seriousness. 'Now, you have a different view. But we run our football club differently to the way you would.'
West Australian
08-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Bailey Smith hosts secret meeting with AFL CEO and Geelong bosses
AFL boss Andrew Dillon drove to the home of Bailey Smith for a secret fireside meeting on Thursday night amid the Geelong superstar's recent headline-grabbing indiscretions. 7NEWS understands Dillon and Smith were joined by Cats coach Chris Scott, chief executive Steve Hocking and head of football Andrew Mackie at the Surf Coast property. Dillon organised the meeting after Smith's social media post last month alluding to illicit drug use saw the Cats and AFL hold robust conversations over the 24-year-old's behaviour. The AFL opted not to penalise the explosive midfielder for the now-deleted Instagram comment, instead warning Smith that he would be sanctioned should a similar incident arise. Smith was fined for two separate 'obscene gestures' to fans during Gather Round and Easter Monday matches this year. Those with knowledge of Thursday's intimate catch-up insist Dillon didn't lecture Smith, instead reiterating his importance as a role model as one of the faces of the competition. Dillon and the Cats officials outlined that should Smith's career trajectory continue with fewer off-field controversies, his marketability would only rise. As well as a playing contract worth more than $850,000 per season, the Brownlow Medal contender has lucrative partnerships with Cotton On, Monster Energy, McDonalds, Stuff That Matters and his own alcohol label Barry's. Such was the importance of the meeting, Dillon opted to drive 90 minutes for the Surf Coast early on Thursday evening before heading to Marvel Stadium to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The PM enjoyed the hospitality at the Western Bulldogs-Hawthorn clash alongside Hawks president Andy Gowers — a premiership teammate of Dillon's at VAFA club Old Xaverians. With pressure rising on his football department in recent months, Dillon has made a concerted effort to be more personable with his connections to key figures. However, the league CEO meeting at the home of a star player, with his coach, CEO and football boss, is seen as extremely rare. Dillon met with Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, Richmond coach Adem Yze and Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell at the Graham Hotel in South Melbourne in early May. He followed by meeting coaches Simon Goodwin (Melbourne), Alastair Clarkson (North Melbourne), Chris Scott (Geelong) and Brad Scott (Essendon) at Fitzroy's Builders Arms Hotel a fortnight later. Geelong have been the subject of an ongoing AFL audit this season into third party payments that is expected to result in a fine for administrative lodgement errors — not explicit hidden deals — in the next fortnight. Chris Scott was forced to include part of his salary from his external arrangement with club sponsor Morris Finance into the Cats' soft cap earlier this season. Smith was a late out for Geelong's win over Gold Coast on Saturday with a hamstring concern he picked up in the win against West Coast six days earlier. He is expected to be in the frame to play against Essendon at the MCG next week.
Perth Now
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Bailey Smith hosts secret meeting with AFL CEO and Geelong bosses
AFL boss Andrew Dillon drove to the home of Bailey Smith for a secret fireside meeting on Thursday night amid the Geelong superstar's recent headline-grabbing indiscretions. 7NEWS understands Dillon and Smith were joined by Cats coach Chris Scott, chief executive Steve Hocking and head of football Andrew Mackie at the Surf Coast property. Dillon organised the meeting after Smith's social media post last month alluding to illicit drug use saw the Cats and AFL hold robust conversations over the 24-year-old's behaviour. The AFL opted not to penalise the explosive midfielder for the now-deleted Instagram comment, instead warning Smith that he would be sanctioned should a similar incident arise. Smith was fined for two separate 'obscene gestures' to fans during Gather Round and Easter Monday matches this year. Those with knowledge of Thursday's intimate catch-up insist Dillon didn't lecture Smith, instead reiterating his importance as a role model as one of the faces of the competition. It's understood the key figures gathered around Smith's outdoor fire pit. Credit: Instagram Dillon and the Cats officials outlined that should Smith's career trajectory continue with fewer off-field controversies, his marketability would only rise. As well as a playing contract worth more than $850,000 per season, the Brownlow Medal contender has lucrative partnerships with Cotton On, Monster Energy, McDonalds, Stuff That Matters and his own alcohol label Barry's. Such was the importance of the meeting, Dillon opted to drive 90 minutes for the Surf Coast early on Thursday evening before heading to Marvel Stadium to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The PM enjoyed the hospitality at the Western Bulldogs-Hawthorn clash alongside Hawks president Andy Gowers — a premiership teammate of Dillon's at VAFA club Old Xaverians. With pressure rising on his football department in recent months, Dillon has made a concerted effort to be more personable with his connections to key figures. However, the league CEO meeting at the home of a star player, with his coach, CEO and football boss, is seen as extremely rare. Dillon met with Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, Richmond coach Adem Yze and Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell at the Graham Hotel in South Melbourne in early May. He followed by meeting coaches Simon Goodwin (Melbourne), Alastair Clarkson (North Melbourne), Chris Scott (Geelong) and Brad Scott (Essendon) at Fitzroy's Builders Arms Hotel a fortnight later. Geelong have been the subject of an ongoing AFL audit this season into third party payments that is expected to result in a fine for administrative lodgement errors — not explicit hidden deals — in the next fortnight. Chris Scott was forced to include part of his salary from his external arrangement with club sponsor Morris Finance into the Cats' soft cap earlier this season. Smith was a late out for Geelong's win over Gold Coast on Saturday with a hamstring concern he picked up in the win against West Coast six days earlier. He is expected to be in the frame to play against Essendon at the MCG next week.
