If you've already switched on your automatic out-of-office reply or you're just about to set it up before heading off on your summer holiday, this article is for you.

Although annual leave is the most common reason for being away from work, English has a surprisingly rich vocabulary for different types of absence from work. Some of these expressions have straightforward meanings, while others refer to employment law concepts or workplace practices that are unique to particular English-speaking countries.

Let's start with the ones you're most likely to hear during the summer.

If you're speaking to a Brit, they'll probably tell you they're on holiday, whereas an American in the same situation will say they're on vacation. Both expressions refer to time off work, often annual leave, but they belong to different varieties of English. Interestingly, in American English, the word holiday usually refers to a public holiday rather than a vacation.

Once we move from everyday conversation to employment contracts and workplace policies, you'll often come across the term annual leave, which is the formal expression commonly used in business and legal contexts.

Of course, not every absence from work is for a holiday. Absence due to illness is referred to as sick leave.

There are also several types of leave related to family life. Maternity leave refers to leave for mothers following childbirth, paternity leave to leave for fathers, adoption leave to leave for adoptive parents, and parental leave to leave that may be taken by either parent, subject to the laws of the country concerned.

Leave granted following the death of a close relative is commonly called bereavement leave in American English, while British English typically uses the broader term compassionate leave, which may also cover other serious personal circumstances.

Beyond these more familiar forms of leave, English also includes a number of terms that reflect workplace practices found only in certain countries.

For example, what if you've worked overtime but would prefer time off instead of additional pay? In the UK, you're likely to hear the expression Time Off in Lieu (TOIL). It refers to paid time off granted in compensation for overtime worked.

By contrast, garden leave (or gardening leave) describes a completely different situation and is used almost exclusively in British English. It refers to a time during an employee's notice period when they remain employed and continue to receive their salary but are no longer required to attend work, often before joining a competitor. The name conjures up the image of an employee staying at home "working in the garden" instead of going to the office—hardly surprising in a country where well-kept gardens are something of a national institution.

A rather different concept is furlough. Originally, the word referred to temporary leave granted to soldiers with the expectation that they would return to duty. Today, it describes an employee who is temporarily relieved of their duties while remaining employed. Furlough schemes are typically introduced during economic downturns or crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, when employers expect business conditions to improve and employees to return to work.

Another interesting expression is sabbatical. The term derives from the Hebrew word Shabbat—the Sabbath, traditionally a day of rest—and the biblical sabbatical year. Today, it refers to an extended period of leave intended for professional development, research, study or personal growth.

Finally, there is the floating holiday, a concept that originated in the American workplace. It is a paid day off that allows employees to exchange one public holiday for a day off of their own choosing. It is no coincidence that this practice developed in the United States—a country often described as a melting pot of cultures and religions. It enables employees from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds to observe the days that matter most to them.

These expressions are therefore much more than business vocabulary. They offer a glimpse into workplace culture across the English-speaking world and demonstrate how language evolves alongside the societies that shape it. After all, good translation begins not with words, but with an understanding of context.

This article was originally published on the Women in Adria portal on 31 July 2026. You can read it HERE.