If you leave one Big 4 for another, how long is gardening leave? Is it always the same as your notice period?

It depends, you might not even get any gardening leave if they're busy!

It's something that will only really happen at a senior level. I know someone who got 6 months on full pay, how good is that.

That's really good!

[quote]If you leave one Big 4 for another, how long is gardening leave? Is it always the same as your notice period?[/quote]This is completely binary - either you present a risk to the business (in which case you will be sent on garden leave immediately) or you don't in which case you'll work your notice. Usually it's reserved for more senior leavers, but there is a means of stacking the odds in your favour in the mid level - moan. Literally. Make it quite clear in your HR or line management resignation meeting that you intend to be transparent about how disaffected you are. The cultural impact alone on a team is too much to risk, so usually this will trigger garden leave. Just don't bank on going back there.

+1.A month or two off work on full pay might sound fantastic, but it's not worth besmirching your reputation. It's not just the company you're leaving that will remember your behaviour, it's all your colleagues who may well move on themselves and might one day be in a position to hire you. Or not...The old joke is that you must learn to fake sincerity, but really the payback is when you create the facade if professional pride.

What's interesting is it sounds like you all think I would have a choice in whether or not I am or am not put in gardening leave. Surely that's the choice of the employer?

completely the choice of your employer. we're just saying you can angle for it if you want.

I was certain I was going to get gardening leave when I left ACN as I was on site at a direct competitor to my current client. Sadly not and ended up on client site at 6pm on the other side of the country on my last day...

At least you finished at 6pm, I guess. A former employer of mine, from a long time ago, would have kept me on that client site until midnight (and even that would have been considered "leaving early").

Has anyone done gardening while on gardening leave?