Housekeeping
Notice period and garden leave
Sets how much notice each side must give, and whether the company can require you to stay away while still employed.
Where to find it
The termination section of the employment agreement.
Search your document for: notice termination garden leave gardening leave
Which version do you have?
Wording paraphrased for teaching. Yours will differ; the shape is what matters.
Usually fine
“Either party may terminate with two weeks' written notice.”
Short and symmetrical. Easy to plan an exit around.
Needs a question
“Employee shall give three months' written notice. The Company may require Employee not to attend work during the notice period.”
Long notice constrains your exit timing, and garden leave means you remain employed, and so remain bound by every other clause here, while not working.
Ask this before you sign
- How long is my notice period, and is it symmetrical?
- Does garden leave apply, and am I paid during it?
What this clause means when you hold two roles
Reading the clause is one thing; knowing how it interacts with a second employer's agreement, where it sits in the self-audit, and what to do when two contracts disagree is the part that takes the work. That analysis, the agreement-review worksheet and the searchable library live in the course.
More in Housekeeping
- Company property and acceptable useGoverns what you may do with company devices, accounts and networks, and usually states that they may be monitored and must be returned.
- Policies incorporated by referencePulls the handbook and other policies into your contract, and often allows the company to change them later without renegotiating with you.
Generic wording written for teaching, not copied from any real agreement. Employment law varies by country and state. This is not legal advice — see the disclaimer.