Garden Leave
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A period during which a departing employee remains on the payroll and is bound by their employment terms but is not required to work, preventing immediate access to a competitor's operations.
## Garden Leave
Garden leave is a period where an employee who has resigned or been given notice continues to receive full pay and benefits but does not come to work.
### Purpose
- Prevents the employee from joining a competitor immediately.
- Keeps the employee bound by their employment contract (NDA, non-compete).
- Allows time for the company to transition the employee's responsibilities.
- The employee's knowledge of current projects, clients, and strategy becomes stale.
### Common In
- Financial services (banking, hedge funds, trading).
- Senior executive roles.
- Sales roles with client relationships.
- Technology companies with competitive IP.
### Duration
Typically 1–6 months. In financial services, 3–6 months is standard for senior positions.
### Employee Rights During Garden Leave
Full salary and benefits continue. The employee may not work for anyone else or start a competing business. They may be required to be available for questions or handover tasks.