garden leave

noun

A period of paid leave before termination of employment, often including non-compete contract clauses.

“We think he's going to start working for our competitor, so we've put on him on garden leave so he doesn't take all of our latest ideas.”

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Meanings

noungarden leave (uncountable)

alternative gardening leave

  1. UKuncountableA period of paid leave before termination of employment, often including non-compete contract clauses.

    We think he's going to start working for our competitor, so we've put on him on garden leave so he doesn't take all of our latest ideas.

    1 more example

    The use of a garden leave clause means that the employee is allowed to stay at home (in the garden!) on full pay but is not allowed to work for anyone else during the life of the notice period.

    2004, Janice Nairns, Employment Law for Business Students, second edition, Pearson Education, →ISBN, page 128

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
terminal leave

Origin

In reference to the time a person can work on their garden during their paid leave.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish fritstilling
  • fritstillingperiod of paid leave before termination of employment
German bezahlte Freistellung
  • bezahlte Freistellungperiod of paid leave before termination of employment
Cite this entry
APA

garden leave. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/garden%20leave

MLA

“garden leave.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/garden%20leave. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “garden leave,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/garden%20leave.

Source: garden leave on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.