Many businesses rely on non-compete clauses in employment contracts, severance agreements, and other types of contracts. These clauses can help businesses protect their interests and prevent unfair competition by restricting former employees, independent contractors, or other types of workers from working for competitors or starting their own competing businesses. However, under the administration of President Joe Biden, the federal government is looking to take action to restrict the use of non-compete clauses or even prohibit them altogether.
Proposed FTC Rule Regarding Non-Compete Clauses
On January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a new rule that would affect the use of non-compete clauses in the United States. Under this rule, the use of non-compete clauses would be defined as an "unfair method of competition," and employers would be prohibited from using these clauses in employment contracts or similar agreements. In addition, the rule would require employers to rescind any existing non-compete clauses and notify employees or other workers of this rescission. This rule would supersede any state laws or regulations that specify when non-compete agreements can or cannot be used.
Notably, the rule would not only apply to non-compete clauses that have been included in an employment contract or a similar agreement but also to "de facto" agreements that function in a similar fashion. For example, non-disclosure agreements that are so broad that they would prevent a person from working in the same field after leaving an employer would be considered to be non-compete agreements. Other contractual terms that would restrict a person's ability to seek future employment, such as the requirement to pay an employer for training expenses that are not functionally related to the actual costs of training the employee received, may also be considered to be non-compete clauses. Employers would also be prohibited from claiming or implying that a worker is subject to a non-compete agreement when they do not have a good-faith basis for believing that an enforceable non-compete clause applies to a person.
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