preview

Why Do Companies Sign Non Compete Agreements

Decent Essays

Why Companies Should Have Employees Sign Non-Compete Agreements Non-compete agreements are an important matter that every company should take seriously. In fact, Nike recently settled a lawsuit against formers designers who ‘defected’ to Adidas to help them open up a design center in New York (see http://www.businessinsider.com/nike-settles-lawsuit-against-designers-2015-6). Non-compete agreements are critical to protecting the company and its future profits. What are the Legal Requirements for a Non-Compete Agreement? Every non-compete agreement must satisfy three basic requirements. First, it must protect a genuine business interest. For example, this could be trade secrets or an established clientele base. Second, it must offer the employee …show more content…

Since information is power, any employees that discloses confidential information threatens the financial health of the company. Non-compete agreements also protect the investment that has been made into recruiting, training and retaining top employees. Finally, having a non-compete agreement will reduce potential lawsuit costs if an employee does break the contract. What are the Customer Benefits of Non-Compete Agreements? Non-compete agreements will also protect your customer relationships. This is because sometimes when an employee leaves, their clients may faithfully follow. Therefore, non-compete agreements will increase the client confidence and retention. Non-compete agreements also help to clarify the professional expectations for employees, which will improve their behavior with clients. What Happens if the Employee Breaks the Non-Compete Agreement? A court ordered injunction is the most common result of an employee breaking a non-compete agreement. This means that instead of seeking monetary damages, the employer simply asks the court to enforce the non-compete agreement by making the employee leave their new employer. However, seeking compensatory damages due to loss of profits is also an

Get Access