First of all, read this article about a 19 year old dog store employee.
- 19 years old
- works for $8 an hour
- after 1 month of work, asked to sign a non-compete
- Is fired after 3 months of work
- and can’t find a new job in pet care businesses because of her non-compete.
Ugh.
There are two types of non-compete cases that end up in Court.
The kind where the employee can really hurt the business of their ex-employee and legal action is required to stop the wrongful acts..
And the kind where the old employer, for some reason (ego maybe) feels the need to enforce an agreement even when the breach hasn’t harmed them at all.
About 75% of my cases are the later – ego driven, not business driven.
I feel sad for this kid – 19 years old, she can’t afford to defend herself in Court. Nor should she have to.
Please read your non-compete before you sign and understand they can be enforced – even if unfair.