Kanishka Narayan, the UK minister responsible for AI strategy, says he is reviewing non-compete clauses and lengthy notice periods in the tech sector. He told Sifted he is working "extremely rapidly" on the issue, describing the current situation as "absurd" for workers who can be locked out of the industry for up to 12 months.
Narayan said he is looking at how to make it easier for people to move between AI companies, and suggested the government is considering changes that would stop employers from using non-compete agreements to block staff from joining rivals. He also indicated that garden leave — the practice of keeping a departing employee away from work during their notice period — is part of the review.
The push follows a public campaign by startup founders and investors, including a letter to the government signed by figures from companies such as DeepMind and Builder.ai. The letter called for the UK to follow California's approach, where non-compete clauses are largely unenforceable, and warned that the current rules make it harder for talent to flow between startups.
Narayan said the government is moving quickly, but did not set a firm date for when changes would be introduced. The review is still at an early stage, and no specific policy proposal has been published yet.