garden leave (also gardening leave)
noun phrase

- a period of time after an employee leaves a job when they continue to be paid but are not allowed to go to work or to begin a new job

- an employee’s suspension from work on full pay for the duration of a notice period, typically to prevent them from having any further influence on the organization or from accessing confidential information

Cambridge Dictionary / Oxford Dictionaries

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WORD ORIGIN

The term “garden leave” (or “gardening leave”) originated in the British Civil Service where employees had the right to request special leave for exceptional purposes. The term gained widespread public attention in 1986 when it was used in a BBC sitcom episode.

In jurisdictions where employee non-compete clauses are legal, the practice is used to maintain the effectiveness of such clauses.

It is also sometimes used when an employee position is no longer needed during the notice period.

Sometimes, the practice is used to avoid sloppy work or sabotage by an uninterested or disaffected employee, or when an employer wishes to imply that is the case.

Garden leave also (humorously) implies that in banning an employee from coming to the office and not allowing them to work whilst under contract, the only option left available is to take care of their garden.

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GARDEN THERAPY

Also known as “horticultural therapy” or “social and therapeutic horticulture” is the engagement of a person in gardening and plant-based activities, to achieve specific therapeutic treatment goals. Direct contact with plants is believed to guide a person’s focus away from stress and enhancing their overall quality of life.

The use of horticulture to calm the senses dates as far back as 2000 BC in ancient Mesopotamia. Around 500 BC, ancient Persians created gardens to soothe the senses by involving beauty, fragrance, flowing water, and cool temperatures. Ancient Egyptian physicians prescribed walks around a garden for patients with mental illness.

During the Middle Ages, in the grounds of monastery hospitals, plants were used deliberately to cheer up melancholy patients, as well as to provide remedial herbs.

Today, horticultural therapy is practiced in many countries around the world, including Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, India and Sweden. Many universities in these countries have education programs and research in horticultural therapy.

Green, the dominant colour in nature, is strongly associated with health, growth, and renewal. In product marketing, green is often connected to feelings of abundance, peace, rest and security.

And it's no surprise that people are invited to wait in the “green room” to relax before going on camera, and that some doctors consciously use green in their offices to put patients at ease.

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GARDEN QUOTES

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" – Marcus Tullius Cicero

"My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece" – Claude Monet

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“She’ll be on GARDEN LEAVE for the next two months until her contract expires.”

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