(c) Employee name agrees not to set up in business as a direct competitor of company name within a radius of number miles of company name and location for a period of number and measure of time (e.g., “four months” or “10 years”) following the expiration or termination of this agreement.
Virginia courts have upheld employment non-competes up to 2 years post-employment. If a non-compete is included in a business sale, it can be enforceable for a longer period, up to 5 years. If an employer's non-compete is for longer than 2 years, unless it is for the sale of a business, it will be held unenforceable.
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.
Now that the FTC is permanently enjoined from enforcing the rule, (unless and until a successful FTC appeal), non-competes return to the status quo and are legal and enforceable on the same terms as they were before the FTC passed the non-compete rule.
Virginia courts have upheld employment non-competes up to 2 years post-employment. If a non-compete is included in a business sale, it can be enforceable for a longer period, up to 5 years.
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.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on April 23, 2024, that non-compete agreements will be banned across the U.S. for most workers. This new rule will start in August 2024, 120 days after the FTC announced it.
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.