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August 18, 2026

UK government under pressure to change non-compete rules

Pressure is mounting on the UK government to make garden leave optional for employees

Pressure is mounting on the UK government to loosen non-compete rules, with researchers, founders and investors urging officials to change the rules to make garden leave optional for employees.

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Maya Dharampal-Hornby

Maya Dharampal-Hornby is a reporter, covering UK tech for Sifted, based in London. She's also the producer of Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast .

Freya Pratty

Freya Pratty is Sifted's associate editor. She covers UK tech and leads Sifted's investigations. Follow her on X , LinkedIn and Bluesky

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