Ilion asks staff to sign on dotted line

Ilion has decided to pre-empt any more staff poaching by industry rivals by issuing employees with a revised employment contract.

Ilion was due to present its employees with a revised employmenty rivals by issuing employees with a revised employment contract. contract on 18 November, adding Landis to its list of companies which staff are prevented from joining.

The revised contracts come at the same time as Landis began trading in the UK on 17 November. The amendments made to Ilion's employment contract specify that following termination of employment, an employee is not allowed to work for what Ilion defines as a competitor for a period of six months without written consent from a director.

Up until this point, a competing business has been classed as Azlan and Northamber, but the inclusion of Landis means employees will now have to sign another contract.

Wayne Channon, chairman at Ilion, said: 'The new contract is identical to the existing one. Employees will have to sign the contract, but you can't make people do it.'

The issue of anti-competitive clauses has hit the channel recently as former Ilion MD Roger Paul, who is heading Landis UK, won a High Court battle against Ilion to prevent him setting up the company (PC Dealer, 15 October).

Also, Allan Mack, MD at Ilion, won his case after Computer 2000 applied to the courts for a restraint to stop its former employee from joining Ilion.

According to paragraph 12.1 of Ilion's contract, after termination an employee of Ilion cannot 'within the UK be engaged, concerned or interested in or associated with any competing business'.

This is defined as a business 'which is the same or similar to, or which otherwise competes, directly or indirectly, with any business carried on from time to time during your employment here-under by any Group Company'.