Looking for some advice on behalf of my other half other.

She started a new job with a new employer a few weeks ago but the role/culture/environment/dev path/everything is not what was expected. So she’s left her CV out there and had a rival offer her an interview (they contacted her). Seems like current employer has found about this role and suspects she is lining up an interview, hence she is now being questioned.

What’s the score here? Does she have to declare owt?

Ta

She has to say precisely zero and shouldn’t in any event. Go for the interview – out of work hours or in a lunch period and see what happens. If she doesn’t like it then its better to look for a role from a role.

Ok. So she is within rights to say she is not actively searching (even though her CV has new employer already added)?

The culture of said employer is very demeaning – managers complain/analyse/question everything.

She can do what she wants, her employer employs her, they can’t control or demand to know what she is doing outside her work – which is what this is. As long as she is doing her job and not scheduling an I/v in work time then she just needs to adopt a game face. And when you goes to the I/v, or lets call it a coffee catch up shall we, she should be upfront on why she is considering an alternative. You can’t contractually enforce that an employee does not look for another job but you can restrain ( to some extent) what they do for competitors etc.

She should turn up in a suit everyday, and start taking some long lunches from time to time, just so it doesn’t look odd.

Cool. She’ll keep her head down anyway, but I’ve now asked her to remain shtum. Ta.