This story was originally titled "Extend Your Holiday" in the June 2007 issue. Subscribe to Canadian Living today and never miss an issue!

Not sure how to negotiate more time off during the summer? Bruce Wade, a partner at Cenera, a human resources and business consulting firm in Calgary, offers the following tips.

1. Know your workplace vacation policy backward, forward and in your sleep; it's easier to negotiate when you're familiar with the playing field.

2. Dig a little. Find out when everyone else is taking vacation time so you can plan your summer getaway when the smallest number of people are out of the office.

3. Research the vacation policies of other companies in the industry. Every company wants to stay competitive. If the competition offers more time, bring that to the table by saying, "I don't know if you're aware of this, but ...”

4. Avoid ultimatums. Acknowledge the difficulty of the situation, such as a busy production period, and provide a strategy for how business won’t be affected by your absence.

5. Negotiate on your way up or in. When offered a promotion or when accepting a position in a new organization, your employers are recognizing that you're a valuable asset; use it to tweak vacation benefits.

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