Comments on: Trial Court Questions Appropriateness of Medical Non-Compete Agreement http://www.kemplog.com/2006/02/27/trial-court-questions-appropriateness-of-medical-non-compete-agreement/ Life and law in Eastern Indiana Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:33:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: bw http://www.kemplog.com/2006/02/27/trial-court-questions-appropriateness-of-medical-non-compete-agreement/#comment-192 bw Fri, 10 Mar 2006 02:03:17 +0000 http://www.kemplog.com/2006/02/27/trial-court-questions-appropriateness-of-medical-non-compete-agreement/#comment-192 Someone very close to me works for a company that forces everyone, even the lowest level employees, to sign noncompetes. These are very low paid positions, no benefits, no access to "trade secrets" (the very idea of a trade secret in this particular industry is ludicrous), and no involvement in marketing or sales. Seriously, it's at the level of Burger Joint A suing burger flippers who defect to work at Burger Joint B. Aren't there some lower limits to this sort of idiocy? When you're dealing with non management hourly employees, noncompetes are simply taking away the person's ability to scrape out a meager living in the same field. In this case, the effect has been that management can now get away with just about anything, since they can not only fire you, they can take away your ability to make a living for two more years. And even if you don't get fired, you are prevented from getting another job in the same field, so you're right back to square one. And, of course, the people who need to fight this crap don't really have the options or money to do so -- if they leave, they get a nasty letter, a nasty lawsuit, and presto -- instant bankruptcy. The very definition of barratry. Someone very close to me works for a company that forces everyone, even the lowest level employees, to sign noncompetes. These are very low paid positions, no benefits, no access to “trade secrets” (the very idea of a trade secret in this particular industry is ludicrous), and no involvement in marketing or sales. Seriously, it’s at the level of Burger Joint A suing burger flippers who defect to work at Burger Joint B.

Aren’t there some lower limits to this sort of idiocy? When you’re dealing with non management hourly employees, noncompetes are simply taking away the person’s ability to scrape out a meager living in the same field.

In this case, the effect has been that management can now get away with just about anything, since they can not only fire you, they can take away your ability to make a living for two more years. And even if you don’t get fired, you are prevented from getting another job in the same field, so you’re right back to square one.

And, of course, the people who need to fight this crap don’t really have the options or money to do so — if they leave, they get a nasty letter, a nasty lawsuit, and presto — instant bankruptcy. The very definition of barratry.

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