There are pros and cons to the concept of a non-compete clause for an employee, but one thing seems clear to us: it should be our elected representatives who determine their validity, not unelected bureaucracies such as the Federal Trade Commission.
This week, the FTC voted 3-2 to ban noncompete clauses, which prohibit workers from going to a competitive company for a certain period of time.
Such restraints seem to make sense for employees who work with confidential or proprietary information, which, if disclosed, could harm the former employer.
Kentucky Fried Chicken doesn’t want its employees controlling the secret recipe going to a competitor to spill the beans.
On the other hand, why should there be a restraint on a security guard or assembly line worker from being able to get a job anywhere they so desire, even if it’s in a similar industry?
The bottom line is that these are very nuanced and complicated situations that demand deliberation by our lawmakers before blanket new policies are rolled out.
They need to hear from both employers and employees and craft a balanced policy
Those monumental decisions should not be made by unelected bureaucrats.