A Virginia Standard Clause limiting an employee's solicitation of employees and customers during the term of the employee's employment and for a specified period after the employment relationship ends. It is intended for use by private employers.
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.
That said: In general, an NDA should not stop you from getting a new job. When you signed the NDA you promised not to disclose certain types of information about the company. So it shouldn't matter where you go to work after that, as long as you don't disclose this information.
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.
As a reminder, Virginia is one of eleven states (along with Washington, D.C.) that imposes restrictions on the use of non-compete agreements for so-called “low wage employees.” Effective now in 2025, the salary threshold defining a “low wage employee” in Virginia has increased from $73,320 to $76,081 annually.
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.
In Virginia, non-compete and non-solicitation agreements are enforceable only if they are narrowly drawn to protect the employer's legitimate business interests, are not unduly burdensome on the employee's ability to earn a living, and are not against public policy.
Under § 40.1-28.01 of the Virginia Code, employers are prohibited from requiring employees or prospective employees to sign a non-disparagement agreement that has the effect or purpose of concealing the details of a claim related to sexual assault or harassment.