Hello,

These newsletters are designed to improve your English in a few minutes every day. The themes of the newsletters will be Business English, news and investing.

Topical Thursday - Gardening Leave

What is ‘gardening leave’? Let’s look at an example from the world of football.

Newcastle United place Dan Ashworth on Gardening Leave until 2026

Who is Dan Ashworth? He is Newcastle United’s Director of Football

What has he done? He told Newcastle United that he wanted to leave Newcastle and join rival Premier League team Manchester United.

So why ‘Gardening Leave’? Firstly, let’s explore the term to be ‘on leave’.

On leave is a general term used to describe a period when an employee is temporarily absent from work. There are several reasons why someone might be on leave, each with a specific designation:

• Vacation or Holiday leave: This is when an employee takes a planned absence for rest, relaxation, or travel.

• Sick leave: This refers to a period of absence due to illness or injury.

• Maternity leave/Paternity leave/Parental leave: This is a designated period of leave granted to new parents to care for a newborn or newly adopted child.

• Sabbatical leave: This is a longer period of unpaid leave, typically for personal or professional development.

• Gardening leave: The subject of this newsletter

What is Gardening leave?

In the business world, gardening leave refers to a period when an employee who has resigned or been made redundant is required to stay away from the workplace for a set amount of time. Even though they are not working, they still receive their full salary and benefits.

Why is it called "gardening leave"?:

The term comes from the idea that the employee is free to spend their time at home, perhaps tending to their garden, while being unable to work for their old employer or their new employer.

Let's talk football!

Now, let's see how this applies to the recent transfer of footballer Dan Ashworth from Newcastle United to Manchester United. News outlets reported that Ashworth would be placed on gardening leave by Newcastle. This means he'll need to wait a certain period before officially starting his new role at Manchester United, even though he's no longer working for Newcastle.

Why use gardening leave?

Companies may use gardening leave for several reasons:

• Protecting confidential information: They want to prevent the employee from taking sensitive information to their new employer.

• Ensuring a smooth handover: It allows time for a proper handover of responsibilities to a new employee.

• Maintaining stability: It minimizes disruption within the company during the transition.

Remember:

While "gardening leave" sounds idyllic, it can be a frustrating experience for the employee as they're essentially on paid leave but can't work elsewhere.

Until tomorrow - have a great day!

Iain.