A month off work after a decade of work. What could i do with the time?
June 26, 2010 10:01 AM Subscribe
I have a month of gardening leave ahead of me. What should i do?
I moved into a new job 9 months ago. Had an instant Personality Clash with my line manager. Its all ended amiably(?) with me leaving and getting a month's gardening leave for my pain. As luck would have it I have lined up a new job and so have a some free time on my hands.
My time sinks in July will be my two year old son, my wife...and thats it. I used to play lots of games but this would feel like a waste of time. I'm an engineer by profession if this helps.
Currently I have decided to get fitter (running plus core workouts), read a few hours each day to catch up and DIY to the house.
However I can't help feeling I should do more or try something a bit left field as i have time.
What do you think?
Any ideas? If it helps i live in Edinburgh, Scotland
I moved into a new job 9 months ago. Had an instant Personality Clash with my line manager. Its all ended amiably(?) with me leaving and getting a month's gardening leave for my pain. As luck would have it I have lined up a new job and so have a some free time on my hands.
My time sinks in July will be my two year old son, my wife...and thats it. I used to play lots of games but this would feel like a waste of time. I'm an engineer by profession if this helps.
Currently I have decided to get fitter (running plus core workouts), read a few hours each day to catch up and DIY to the house.
However I can't help feeling I should do more or try something a bit left field as i have time.
What do you think?
Any ideas? If it helps i live in Edinburgh, Scotland
Send your wife off for a day at the spa (or whatever she would like), and while she is gone, spring clean your house.
Go on a camping trip with your family.
Spend lots and lots of time with your kid. If you wouldn't usually feed him breakfast because you are off to work, feed him breakfast every day.
Learn a whole lot of new toddler-friendly walks near your house.
Instead of only doing major DIY projects, write a list (with your wife) of twenty tiny niggling things you don't like about the house and fix all of them.
posted by emilyw at 10:32 AM on June 26, 2010
Go on a camping trip with your family.
Spend lots and lots of time with your kid. If you wouldn't usually feed him breakfast because you are off to work, feed him breakfast every day.
Learn a whole lot of new toddler-friendly walks near your house.
Instead of only doing major DIY projects, write a list (with your wife) of twenty tiny niggling things you don't like about the house and fix all of them.
posted by emilyw at 10:32 AM on June 26, 2010
Best answer: These all sound like good suggestions (and your ideas are great too!) - so can I just add a couple of suggestions for refinements?
1. Set yourself a challenge like running a 10k - eminently doable for pretty much anyone (mate, if you saw me, you'd believe me) - and that doesn't have to be within that month. Just make your month the kick-start to training. I couldn't run to the end of my road when I started (I tried!) so just follow the advice that everyone seems to give newbies - don't push yourself too hard, do walk-a-bit then run-a-bit then walk-a-bit again... May take weeks until you can run continuously for even half an hour but that's fine. And get some decent runnign shoes - someone you know is bound to know a friendly local running shop where they can sell you a decent pair. You don't really need anything else.
2. How about an overnight camping (or something else) adventure with JUST your son, as well as a whole-family thing? Needs to be well-planned if you don't normally look after him, but these can be great fun (I'm a dad too). Is there somewhere you could go that would be amazing to him? (Hmm he's only two - it's not going to take much to impress him, and that's fine!) Maybe do something together that your wife wouldn't much enjoy (steam train journey, maybe?) Just a day and a night away can be a real adventure for little ones.
3. Something left-field? Is there a musical instrument you've secretly always wanted to play? Saxophone? Trumpet? Electric guitar? Fiddle? There's bound to be a music shop in Edinburgh that would rent you one to try it out for a few months and you may know someone who already plays, who could suggest a teacher. (Otherwise look at the adverts on the music shop noticeboard - it's bound to have one!) Have a lesson a week for that month and again give the thing a real kick start while you've got the extra time. A great thing to continue even when you start your new job (like the running).
Have a great July and hope the new job goes really well!
posted by monster max at 1:07 PM on June 26, 2010
1. Set yourself a challenge like running a 10k - eminently doable for pretty much anyone (mate, if you saw me, you'd believe me) - and that doesn't have to be within that month. Just make your month the kick-start to training. I couldn't run to the end of my road when I started (I tried!) so just follow the advice that everyone seems to give newbies - don't push yourself too hard, do walk-a-bit then run-a-bit then walk-a-bit again... May take weeks until you can run continuously for even half an hour but that's fine. And get some decent runnign shoes - someone you know is bound to know a friendly local running shop where they can sell you a decent pair. You don't really need anything else.
2. How about an overnight camping (or something else) adventure with JUST your son, as well as a whole-family thing? Needs to be well-planned if you don't normally look after him, but these can be great fun (I'm a dad too). Is there somewhere you could go that would be amazing to him? (Hmm he's only two - it's not going to take much to impress him, and that's fine!) Maybe do something together that your wife wouldn't much enjoy (steam train journey, maybe?) Just a day and a night away can be a real adventure for little ones.
3. Something left-field? Is there a musical instrument you've secretly always wanted to play? Saxophone? Trumpet? Electric guitar? Fiddle? There's bound to be a music shop in Edinburgh that would rent you one to try it out for a few months and you may know someone who already plays, who could suggest a teacher. (Otherwise look at the adverts on the music shop noticeboard - it's bound to have one!) Have a lesson a week for that month and again give the thing a real kick start while you've got the extra time. A great thing to continue even when you start your new job (like the running).
Have a great July and hope the new job goes really well!
posted by monster max at 1:07 PM on June 26, 2010
I hope im not going to be beaten too soundly about the head and shoulders for posting something that ISN'T an answer to the question, but i can't help myself: I'm American, I've never heard the phrase "gardening leave" before, and I'm fascinated by it... Presumably, it's what Americans call "severance" - you'll be paid for the month, though you won't be working? Or do Scots really get time off from work to tend their gardens, the way mothers get maternity leave to give birth?! Anyway, just curious, carry on posting answers now...
posted by OneMonkeysUncle at 4:31 PM on June 26, 2010
posted by OneMonkeysUncle at 4:31 PM on June 26, 2010
Response by poster: Dear all,
Many thanks for the advice. I should've said my son is two so memories will be all for me rather than something he'll remember. Also my wife is pregnant with baby number two so spa breaks are out.
I've decided to just enjoy my time with my little son and wife but get fitter / revive my reading habit i've lost. That and some DIY projects. The last few months have been stressful so i'm happy with this. If my son had been older or my wife not pregnant i'd have done something different.
Thanks for the advice.
posted by Vroom_Vroom_Vroom at 10:26 PM on June 27, 2010
Many thanks for the advice. I should've said my son is two so memories will be all for me rather than something he'll remember. Also my wife is pregnant with baby number two so spa breaks are out.
I've decided to just enjoy my time with my little son and wife but get fitter / revive my reading habit i've lost. That and some DIY projects. The last few months have been stressful so i'm happy with this. If my son had been older or my wife not pregnant i'd have done something different.
Thanks for the advice.
posted by Vroom_Vroom_Vroom at 10:26 PM on June 27, 2010
Response by poster: @OneMonekysUncle - gardening leave is actually a contractual employment term. My new contract has a clause relating to it. Would love to know the entymology..
UK employment law is based on the reciprocal agreement that if you turn up for work the meployer has to provide work to do. So without a clause saying that we can pay you for doing nothing they may be breaking the contract. Strange but true.
Here is a actual recent case where it is used.
http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2010/678.html&query=gardening+and+leave&method=boolean#disp1
posted by Vroom_Vroom_Vroom at 10:34 PM on June 27, 2010
UK employment law is based on the reciprocal agreement that if you turn up for work the meployer has to provide work to do. So without a clause saying that we can pay you for doing nothing they may be breaking the contract. Strange but true.
Here is a actual recent case where it is used.
http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2010/678.html&query=gardening+and+leave&method=boolean#disp1
posted by Vroom_Vroom_Vroom at 10:34 PM on June 27, 2010
Response by poster: http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2010/678.html&query=gardening+and+leave&method=boolean#disp1
posted by Vroom_Vroom_Vroom at 10:35 PM on June 27, 2010
posted by Vroom_Vroom_Vroom at 10:35 PM on June 27, 2010
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posted by michswiss at 10:15 AM on June 26, 2010