Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog
Non-compete agreements were originally created as a way for businesses to prevent competitors from poaching their employees. If a high-level executive who knows a lot about the company’s trade secrets and/or has established valuable relationships with clients takes those assets to a competitor working just around the corner, the result could be disastrous for the worker’s former employer.
In order to prevent that from happening, most employers include non-compete agreements in almost all their employment contracts. These agreements usually specify a geographical area in which the employee cannot work for a competitor in a given time frame (usually six months to a year).
Although non-compete agreements can be an effective way for companies to protect their legitimate business interests, some companies have become overzealous in their attempts to hold on to their workers and have included non-compete agreements in all their employment contracts, even with their lowest-paid employees. Continue reading ›