Garden leave

[lifesabitchslways]

I work in the public sector (local council) and I’m moving into another role within the same organisation. I’m wondering whether garden leave can be used in this situation, or if it only applies when someone is leaving the organisation completely.

Has anyone been allowed garden leave when moving internally? Or is it something that’s never used for internal moves?

I think its only used when you leave the company. If you're staying they might tell you to use annual leave.

I’ve worked in a number of massive global organisations where people move departments all the time.

I’ve never seen anyone take any sort of leave between jobs.

In fact, I’ve seen more often that there’s an overlap where someone is still doing some of the old job while picking up the new one.

Why do you ask? If you want a clean break or time in between, try and sort annual leave to give you that mental space for the switch.

Garden leave is used by employers to protect the organisation from risk when an employee is exiting the organisation.

Your question about whether anyone has “been allowed garden leave when moving internally” suggests you’re thinking about asking for garden leave. Don’t do this! Questions will be raised as to your commitment, and perhaps whether you pose some risk.

Just book some annual leave like everyone else.

You don’t get garden leave moving internally between roles.
if you want a break between jobs you’ll need to take annual leave or go off sick.

No, I work for a local authority, garden leave is only used when someone is leaving completely. If you're looking for a break between roles then you'll need to use annual leave

My understanding of garden leave is that they want you out the door fast instead of getting you to work your notice. You sound like you’re just transferring internally?

I work in the 3rd sector; university and I was able to take garden leave while waiting for internal move. It will depend completely on your organisations policies/procedures or senior management discretion.

Do you know what gardening leave is OP?

Thats not what gardening leave is for at all.

The only time this might apply would be if there was nothing for you to do, eg a department closed and you couldn’t start your new role for some reason but I have moved internally in the public sector several times and never had any sort of leave.

I always thought the term 'gardening leave' was a euphemism for being suspended on full pay whilst an employee was under investigation for potential wrongdoing, or they were leaving anyway and their presence in the office could be detrimental to the business.

Gardening leave is used to protect company data and information when an employee takes a job with a competitor. Basically the employee is told not to work their notice but they continue to be paid.
Why would you think you are entitled to it for an internal move?!
Also the organisation decide based on risk not the employee!

Usually you get two departments arguing over how quickly or not they can release someone- old dept wants them long as possible, employee and new dept want to go as soon as possible. Definitely no chance of gardening leave.

Given the purpose of garden leave is generally to place some restrictions on your activity if you are moving to a competitor, it would be unusual therefore for it to apply to an internal move

Gardening leave is to protect the organisation from the possibility of malicious harm or loss of sensitive data when an employee leaves. It is typically used in financial services or tech environments when the employee might be in a position to harm the company or spread dissent. The employee may even be escorted from the building without warning. They are denied access to the premises and all company systems. However they continue to be paid for their notice period.

Not always, I used to work for a high street bank and initially it was 6 months but later cut to 3, gardening leave was standard for any redundancies and it was an opportunity to look for a new job without the constraints of of the current job.

If you don’t have enough AL you could ask for unpaid leave / a sabbatical, but it may break your service for pension, weekly working hours, other terms & conditions, so tread carefully.