On May 10, 2023, the UK government announced its intention to limit the duration of non-compete restrictions in employment contracts to three months. This was part of a package of measures announced to boost the productivity of British businesses. Despite the initial flurry of speculation about what this meant for UK employers, there is still no sign of the draft legislation that will introduce this new three-month limit. The commitment to do so "when Parliamentary time allows" was perhaps a sign that this was not at the top of the Government's legislative agenda. The new law was also conspicuous in its absence from the King's Speech, delivered on November 7, 2023, which sets the Government's legislative priorities for the coming year. With the inevitability of a general election in 2024 and the possibility of a new Government with different priorities, it is possible that this widely publicised change will never come to fruition.
To find out more about the proposed limit on non-competes in the UK click here.
Find out more about non-competes in other jurisdictions by visiting our Global Non-Compete Tracker here.
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