The restrictive provisions of the non-compete agreement must be reasonable, and courts will only enforce non-compete agreements to the extent necessary to protect the employer's “legitimate business interests.” If this requires the court to reduce or otherwise edit or remove terms in the non-compete agreement, it will ...
Ohio courts tend not to enforce non competition clauses lasting more than two years, although some Ohio courts have done so. Second is the geographic scope of the agreement. The larger the geographic area in which the employee is restricted from working, the more likely it is a court will holds it is too broad.
On February 5, 2025, Ohio state Senators Louis W. Blessing (R) and William P. DeMora (D) introduced Senate Bill (SB) 11 (the “Bill”), that, if enacted, would prohibit employers from entering into a noncompete agreement with a “worker” or “prospective worker”.
On February 5, 2025, Ohio state Senators Louis W. Blessing (R) and William P. DeMora (D) introduced Senate Bill (SB) 11 (the “Bill”), that, if enacted, would prohibit employers from entering into a noncompete agreement with a “worker” or “prospective worker”.
Under case law, non-competes will only be enforceable if they are no wider than reasonably necessary to protect a legitimate interest (e.g. protection of confidential information or customer contacts) and are not contrary to the public interest.
As you can see, non-competes are not enforceable in California, although other states currently allow them. Instead, you can opt for a non-disclosure agreement, or hire employees who live and work in other states.
Introduction. The new FTC rule on non-competes will make most non-compete clauses illegal. It is scheduled to go into effect 120 days from April 23, 2024. A non-compete in Ohio is a contract between an employer and employee that states that the employee cannot compete with the employer after termination.
Several factors can void or limit the enforceability of a non-compete agreement, including overly broad restrictions, unreasonable time frames or geographical limits, lack of consideration (such as compensation or job opportunities provided in exchange for the agreement), and violation of public policy.