Eli5: how exactly can companies enforce non-compete contracts? How is it their business what company you go to, and how would they even know?
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Very hard to enforce anything related to “restrictive covenants” in UK employment law.
Worked for a US based tech firm and when I left after 7 years to a competitor, they tried to invoke clauses in my contract to stop me. Consulted a lawyer and they pointed out the restrictions were too broad (failing to name specific competitors), too long (a year) and if they tried to hold me to them, they’d have to pay me for a year to be on gardening leave. Old company backed down quick.
I then hired 4 other engineers from my old employer into my new company. They tried to do the same to the engineers but we had our lawyer write a rather beautiful letter that told them to fuck right off in legal terms. It worked.
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