UK AI startups say employment restrictions leave engineers waiting up to a year

UK AI startups are asking the government to limit employment rules that keep engineers from changing jobs or starting companies. The push comes as leaders say hiring takes longer in Britain than in San Francisco, putting pressure on the UK’s ability to compete for frontier-technology talent.

• Noncompetes, long notice periods, and garden leave can keep employees out of the market for 6-12 months.
• Signatory companies say they have raised more than $5 billion combined.

The argument is straightforward: AI progress moves in weeks, but a worker can spend up to a year waiting before joining a rival or launching a new company.