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2.58, what happens in the private sector if you take a post with a competitor is determined by the T&Cs in your contract but most of the time, you go on immediate, paid gardening leave for your notice period. No redundancy or golden handshake. Your laptop, phone etc is couriered back the day you resign, and you're told not to do any work for the company and people are instructed not to contact you. You might then have a limited time during which you can't go onto payroll with your new employer (so you live on your savings) and caveats on e.g. you can't take the customer database with you because the IP belongs to your employer (even if you built it, you did so in your role with them). Moves happen often - some recruiters are even targeted with "get the best sales/ BD people from X" so HR policies are always very clear. Companies can and do take legal action against previous employees if they break the rules. So even in business, it's not to be taken lightly. And you can rarely go back if things don't work out. I've heard it happen a couple of times but they were the exception not the rule. Most people don't realise they're making a decision that will affect them in the long term.