The Non-Compete Clause – Modern Day Slavery
From Wikipedia:
“…The Thirteenth Amendment (Amendment XIII) to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. In Congress, it was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, and by the House on January 31, 1865. The amendment was ratified by the required number of states on December 6, 1865. On December 18, 1865, Secretary of State William H. Seward proclaimed its adoption. It was the first of the three Reconstruction Amendments adopted following the American Civil War…”
Unfortunately, the thirteenth amendment to our Constitution did not put an end to slavery. It has changed form, but it is still very much alive today.
There has been a push by companies and major corporations over the past decade or so to what they call a ‘non-compete clause’ as a requirement for employment. They require an employee, whether they be new hires or even some that have been employed with them for many years, to sign one of these in order to obtain or to continue their employment there.
These clauses state that an employee cannot seek employment in the same field for a designated period (usually at least one year and oftentimes several years) after leaving their company.
In most cases, the reason for an employee’s departure makes no difference. Whether they went to a competitor for more money or better benefits, were laid off from their current company, or even fired for any reason. They are still bound by this unconscionable clause.
If you have been in a given business for all of your professional career and at some point you choose to leave and go to another employer for whatever reason, these clauses state that you cannot, and your former employer can and will sue you if you do.
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