Staff roar at Ilion contracts

Ilion has suffered a backlash from staff over the introduction of a revised employee contract which seeks to prevent those leaving the company from working with named competitors.

The contract, introduced in November last year, has met with derision, particularly from a number of staff at the company's training facility who have collectively refused to sign the contract until amendments are made. Northamber and Azlan were the competitors originally cited in the contract.

The contract was subsequently changed to include Dutch-based distributor Landis (PC Dealer, 19 November). The condition that an employee could not work for a competitor for six months after leaving the company without written consent from Ilion's director was retained.

Allan Mack, MD of Ilion, said: 'In general, it has gone fine, but a few training staff will speak to their lawyers as they are Netware lecturers, so there is less scope for them.' He denied there was mass non-compliance with the contract, adding: 'No one has refused to sign it - this is not an issue at the company.'

But a source said: 'There is fear and panic at the company as a lot of people have refused to sign the contract or are just ignoring it.' The source added that a lot of people worked exclusively within the distribution industry and so such a revision would cut the opportunities available to them.

But, Mack was adamant that staff were not under pressure to sign the new contract.

'That might be naive on their part and they would be worrying unnecessarily.

We are trying to protect their interests,' he said.

The contract states an employee cannot 'be engaged, concerned, interested in or associated with competing business' within the UK.

Mack supported the contact, stating: 'We are trying to protect them (staff) because if a colleague who works in a team joins a competing company, it can damage the other individuals.'