Competing for talent - what employers need to know to avoid breaking competition law

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has issued new guidance on what businesses need to know when recruiting workers and setting working conditions. The Guidance is aimed at those who work in human resources or are involved in the recruitment and retention of workers.

Employers need to take note, as it is clear that anti-competitive conduct in the labour market will be treated as seriously as in product or service markets, with substantial penalties for breaches. Businesses that compete to hire or retain workers in labour markets will be considered competitors (even though they do not compete for customers).

Click here to read our latest briefing, in which we explore the three main types of anti-competitive behaviour in labour markets addressed by the CMA Guidance - no-poaching agreements; wage-fixing; and the exchange of competitively sensitive information - and analyse what this means for employers in practice.