In general, non-competes can't stop you from working. They can stop you from taking specific IP to another company (eg a salesman taking client phone numbers to a new org selling similar products) but even that is a legal gray area.
An NDA would prevent you from sharing information from your job with anyone the company does not authorize you to. This does not prevent you from working for a competitor of the company, just places a limit on if you were to tell them anything about how the current company works you could be held liable.
Chapter 2 – How to Beat Your Virginia Non-Compete Get a copy of the agreement. Have an attorney review the agreement. Don't plan your new business at work! ... Do not advertise your new business until you know your non-compete agreement is not an issue. Be Honest. Seek legal action to determine validity of the agreement.
Yes. It affects everyone in the US, it's a federal ruling. You simply will not have any more non compete clauses in any employment agreements, outside the handful of given exceptions. That does not mean your employer has to tolerate your working for a competitor, however. You will just be subject to termination.
In Virginia, non-compete agreements are enforceable if an employer can show: the restriction is “no greater than is necessary to protect the employer's legitimate business interest”; the agreement is not excessively severe or oppressive in restricting the employee's ability to find another job or make an income; and.
Typically, a noncompete agreement prohibits you from working for a competitor until a set period has passed, but it may additionally ban you from completing the following actions: Starting your own company in the same industry. Contacting former customers. Utilizing skills you learned on the job.
Therefore, the short answer is: Yes, an employer can prevent an employee from going to work for a competitor... but only for a relatively short period of time, and only if the restrictions are reasonable having regard to the legitimate interests the employer is seeking to protec...
The very basic requirements are that the non-compete must (1) be in writing; (2) be part of an employment contract; (3) be based on valuable consideration; (4) be reasonable in scope of time and of territory; (5) not be against public policy.
The simplest way to get out of that kind of contract is merely to ask them to release your from it. If they refuse, you might need to get a lawyer to aid you in doing so. Non-compete contracts usually have penalties specified and certainly have durations. A contract that the courts deem to be unfair can be nullified.
On Jan. 16, 2024, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry announced that the average weekly wage for 2024 would be $1,410. As a result, employers are now prohibited from entering, enforcing or threatening to enforce a non-compete agreement with an employee who earns less than $73,320 per year.