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What to do if…
you receive a legal threat from a former employer about contacting clients or colleagues

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Pause any business-related contact with their clients or staff, preserve everything, and get UK employment law advice before you respond.

Do not do these things

  • Do not reply in anger, apologise, or give a detailed explanation; it can accidentally admit things.
  • Do not ignore it if it mentions court, an injunction, undertakings, or gives a short deadline.
  • Do not contact clients or colleagues to clear things up, ask what they said, or gather statements.
  • Do not delete messages, call logs, LinkedIn messages, emails, files, or documents.
  • Do not use old employer contact lists, CRM exports, pricing, templates, or downloaded work files.
  • Do not sign undertakings, accept restrictions, or promise anything new before advice.
  • Do not post about the threat on social media or in group chats.

What to do now

  1. Pause the highest-risk contact. Stop any proactive, business-related contact with former clients, customers, suppliers, or colleagues, including sales messages, recruitment messages, account-moving messages, and “we are hiring” messages. If you must contact someone for a genuinely personal reason, keep it strictly personal and avoid work or business talk.
  2. Preserve the threat and your records. Save the letter or email, envelopes, attachments, and any delivery information. Take screenshots of relevant messages and keep the originals where possible.
  3. Write a simple timeline while it is fresh. Note who contacted whom, when, what was said, what channel was used, and whether any client, customer, or colleague contacted you first.
  4. Gather the documents the threat may depend on. Find your employment contract, any later contract changes, any settlement or exit agreement, any confidentiality or intellectual property agreement, and any policies you signed or accepted that mention post-employment restrictions.
  5. Mark what they are actually alleging. Highlight the exact clauses they rely on, if they name them. Separate specific claims, such as names, dates, and messages, from general warnings or pressure.
  6. Do an information hygiene check without deleting anything. Check whether you have been using or sharing old employer material, such as copied files, customer lists, pricing, CRM exports, proposals, templates, or documents from work systems. If you find any, stop using it and isolate it; do not forward it, edit it, or delete it.
  7. Use the fastest help channel available. Contact your union or professional body helpline if you have one, check whether you have legal expenses cover through insurance, and speak to a solicitor or legal adviser experienced in restrictive covenants and injunction threats. Acas can also give free, confidential employment law or work advice and talk through options and risks, although it cannot give a legal opinion or act for you.
  8. If you must respond before advice, send only a holding reply. Confirm receipt, say you are taking advice, and ask them to specify the exact clauses relied on and the specific contacts or communications complained of. Add that you are not accepting their allegations or agreeing to any new restrictions at this stage.

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide today whether the clause is enforceable or reasonable.
  • You do not need to negotiate, sign undertakings, or accept restrictions beyond anything you have already agreed to.
  • You do not need to contact every client or colleague to correct the record.
  • You do not need to quit a new job, abandon work plans, or make a major career decision before you understand the real risk.

Important reassurance

A legal-sounding letter can feel like you are already in trouble, but many letters are written to stop activity quickly and create pressure. Slowing down, preserving records, and getting advice before you speak is a strong and normal response.

Scope note

These are first steps only. Whether post-employment restrictions can be enforced usually depends on the wording, your role, the facts, and whether the restriction is clear, specific, time-restricted, and reasonable to protect a legitimate business interest. Later decisions may need specialist employment law advice.

Important note

This guide provides general information only. It is not legal, financial, therapeutic, or professional advice. If the letter mentions court action, an injunction, undertakings, or a short deadline, treat it as urgent and seek qualified UK employment law advice.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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