The following are the most common ways to get out of a non-compete agreement: Determine that the terms of the contract do not in fact prevent you from a desired course of action. Recognize when a non-compete contradicts the law. Negotiate a release agreement with the involved parties. Ignore the agreement.
Non-compete agreements in Pennsylvania are enforceable only if they meet strict standards. Courts may void or modify agreements that are too restrictive. The legal landscape is evolving with state law changes and the FTC's rule potentially banning non-competes.
The ban covers all non-competes for U.S. workers (including employees and independent contractors) with limited carve-outs, and is subject to certain exceptions based on the FTC's statutory authority.
The courts will restrain an ex-employee from violating a restrictive covenant only when the circumstances make it reasonable to enforce. However, a Pennsylvania court will look only at the terms when the ex-employer sues for damages, not an injunction.
On average, noncompete agreements stop former employees from taking a new job at a competing company for anywhere from six months to a year. However, in some high tech fields where employees have access to extremely sensitive information about new technologies, noncompete agreements could last as long as two years.
Under the Noncompete Rule, the FTC adopted a comprehensive ban on new noncompetes with all workers, including senior executives. The final Noncompete Rule provides that it is an unfair method of competition—and therefore a violation of Section 5—for employers to enter into noncompetes with workers.
Noncompete agreements (often referred to as noncompetes) are postemployment restrictions that prohibit departing employees from joining or starting a competing enterprise, typically within time and geographic boundaries (for examples, see Figures OE1, OE2, and OE3 in the Online Appendix).
The final rule defines “non-compete clause” as “a term or condition of employment that prohibits a worker from, penalizes a worker for, or functions to prevent a worker from (1) seeking or accepting work in the United States with a different person where such work would begin after the conclusion of the employment that ...
Globally, non-compete agreements vary significantly in terms of enforceability, scope, and legal framework. While they are a common practice in many countries, the extent to which they are recognized and enforced can differ.
Pennsylvania courts have generally found non-compete agreements to be enforceable if the agreement is incident to an employment relationship between the employer and employee; the restriction imposed is reasonably necessary for the protection of the employer's business interest; and the restrictions imposed are ...