TIL a 'standard' non-compete clause cost me a $15,000 job offer

Had to choose between signing a new employment contract with a 50-mile, 2-year non-compete or walking away. I signed it, thinking it was normal boilerplate. Six months later, a better role opened up across town, but the clause blocked it. Has anyone else pushed back on the geographic radius and gotten it reduced?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_ray2d ago

Look, companies need to protect their trade secrets and client lists. A 50 mile radius for two years is totally normal in a lot of industries, like tech or sales. If you could just walk across the street to a competitor, you'd take all that insider knowledge with you. Signing that contract was a choice, and it shows you agreed the job was worth those terms at the time.

sullivan.quinn2d ago

Actually, courts throw out overly broad non-competes all the time. A 50 mile radius can be a huge problem if you live in a dense metro area. It can block someone from working in their entire field, not just at a direct competitor. The choice to sign is often under real pressure to just get the job.

jamesc792d ago

Used to think they were fair, but sullivan.quinn makes a good point about the pressure to sign. A 50 mile block in a city basically traps you.