Gardening Leave

What does this phrase mean to you – an enforced prevention from working for your employer or a wonderful chance to take some time off work for gardening?  The latter please!

The New Economics Foundation has used the name for a positive proposal, suggesting that time off for gardening would be good for the nation.  The introduction to their new pamphlet ‘National Gardening Leave’ starts with the question ‘Hands up who wants to spend more time at the office?’.  Now doesn’t that conjure up visions of donning the gardening gloves and whiling away the extra hours in your leafy retreat?

The NEF pamphlet that argues that a shorter 4-day working week will leave people happier, healthier and better equipped for our challenging times. It will make the economy more resilient and in a better position for times to come, protecting us from potential external food and energy price shocks. It also proposes that the knock-on effect will be that communities will become stronger and more convivial places to live.

If the idea of being ensconced in your greenhouse for an extra day a week sounds appealing to any of you full-timers, then you can read more at http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/national-gardening-leave.

Author: Robert Smith