Notice Period and Non-Compete in the UK
Looking for some advice as I'm evaluating a potential offer to join a London fund as a l/s analyst.
This would be my first job on the buy-side, so I'm trying to get an idea whether the 9-month notice period and 6-month noncompete is normal for HF seats in London?
Would someone be normally required to serve their full 9-month notice period or do people typically be placed on a gardening leave?
Thank you
6 month noncompete fair, 9 month notice period ridiculous
lmao my friend has a 14 months I was shocked
In my experience customary for analysts are 3 months notice and 6 months gardening with the two being netted if they ask you to stop working before the 3 months notice are over. So you never don’t work for more than 6 months. Longer periods are only enforceable if you are a senior professional of the firm. I believe they need to pay your base during the gardening period, otherwise there is a question mark around enforceability.
I am in the states, so I don't have any London data points, but I work at a credit hedge fund. Your non-compete and garden leave look very long. The reality is that you can try to shrink the notice period on the way out, and usually, once you quit, they do tell you to F off as you won't be productive anyway. They set the notice period long to deter any future firms from hiring you so you have to make sure that the firm you're joining is one you see yourself working for a long time and the culture and growth are solid. Also double check the scope and range of the non-compete. As for enforceability of non-compete, mine is unpaid, but they usually "settle" it in arbitration, which i was told is a shady practice to begin with - again I'm in the states.
Also hypothetically, if you were forced to serve out the full notice period, dont assume you can coast. Ive had friends coast, and they ended up getting laid off after giving notice.
So what...
12m non-compete increasingly standard for more senior roles (eg sub pm / snr analyst with curve) at MM HFs in London.
Thank you very much for the replies. Really appreciate the help and I'm in the process of hunting for an employment solicitor to get some more advice. Will keep everyone posted.
On a side note, what would be a normal 1st year total comp expectation for someone with relatively solid experience on the sellside covering the same sector prior to this role? Just wanted to make sure the number I had in mind is in-line with market.
Thank you
All you people acting like 9 months is a long non-compete? I don't know about UK, but in the US, one year is very very standard, even for low-level people. Citadel has 2 years. So do both of my last two employers.
My question is just since you said there's a 9 month notice period plus a 6 month non-compete...you're obviously getting paid for the notice period but once you give notice, they're not going to give you much (or any) work anymore. Does your contract pay for the non-compete too? If so, then I don't see how there's a difference, isn't it effectively just a 15 month non-compete? That's OK if they're paying you for it. But don't accept it unless they pay you *at least* your full base salary and hopefully more. If the contract says the non-compete is unpaid, then run away. I had an unpaid noncompete once, they're miserable.
This is Europe. I can tell you without looking it up that they would pay you base during the non-compete, possibly more than that.
can confirm it's customary in Europe to be paid full base salary during non-compete
pretty sure it's illegal otherwise
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