{"id":9704,"date":"2021-07-19T15:16:55","date_gmt":"2021-07-19T20:16:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slls.org\/?p=9704"},"modified":"2021-08-10T15:52:44","modified_gmt":"2021-08-10T20:52:44","slug":"non-compete-agreements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slls.org\/en\/non-compete-agreements\/","title":{"rendered":"Non-compete Agreements:\u00a0Why You Should Not Sign One (and What to Do If You Did)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Non-compete Agreements:\u00a0Why You Should Not Sign One (and What to Do If You Did)<\/h3>\n
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The information provided on this post does not, and is not intended to, represent legal advice. All information available on this site is for general informational purposes only. <\/em>If you need legal help, you should contact a lawyer. You may be eligible for our free legal services and can apply by calling our Covid Legal Hotline at\u00a01-844-244-7871<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0or applying online\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n

Like most states, Louisiana lets employers ask employees to sign Non-Compete Agreements.<\/p>\n

What are they?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

They are contracts that after you leave or lose the job, keep you from doing similar work in a region, for up to two years.\u00a0 Employers often give these agreements to a new hire with a lot of other paperwork, so you might not notice what you are signing if you aren\u2019t careful.<\/p>\n

These agreements began as something to protect company secrets and investments, but have been allowed to spread into practically every type of job, even fast food outlets and home health sitting companies.<\/p>\n

Why not sign?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Employers who won\u2019t hire you unless you sign a non-compete agreement will usually sue you for money and to make you stop working at your new job or self-employment<\/strong> if you violate the agreement.\u00a0 So, it\u2019s best to not even sign one in the first place.\u00a0 How do you avoid signing one?\u00a0 Just say \u201cNO.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s not illegal for an employer to ask<\/strong> you to sign, but you do not have to sign it. You can say, I\u2019ll work for you but not sign that non-compete agreement, if you will still take me.\u00a0 You can also say no to the job.<\/p>\n

If you need work and jobs are hard to find, it will be hard to say \u201cno\u201d to an employer demanding you sign a non-compete agreement to work for them.\u00a0 But, once you sign one, you\u2019ve limited your choice of future jobs or self-employment for up to two years from when you stop working with that employer.\u00a0 If you are fine with that, and really want the job, there may be no reason for you not to sign a non-compete agreement. When more and more employers use these agreements to restrict more and more people\u2019s right to work, it gets harder and harder for everyone who works for a wage or who wants to start their own business.<\/p>\n

W<\/strong>hat if you signed one?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Protect yourself from being sued.\u00a0 If the agreement is legal, the employer can sue you for any money loss you cause their business and a court can order you to stop working at the new job.<\/p>\n

If you aren\u2019t sure it is legal, consult a lawyer if you can.\u00a0 If it is legal, wait for the time limit to pass before starting any type of work that might be covered by the non-compete agreement.\u00a0 If you are sued, see a lawyer right away.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n