Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

gardening-leave

noun

/ˈɡɑː.dən.ɪŋ liːv/

Definition

A period during which an employee is instructed not to perform their regular work duties, often while still being paid, typically used during a notice period or when leaving a job.

Examples

After accepting a new position, Jamie was placed on gardening leave for the remainder of the month.
The company typically puts employees on gardening leave to ensure they do not take any proprietary information with them.
During his gardening leave, he focused on personal projects and family time.

Meaning

Gardening leave allows an employee to leave their job without having to report to work, often to prevent them from accessing sensitive information or from immediately working with competitors.