This is one of those funny calendar years where Thanksgiving tucked itself deep into the month of November, leaving far too little time for people to contemplate the upcoming holidays and whether or not it’s actually appropriate to wear that 1980′s – style sweater to the office. (As an aside, you may have convinced yourself that your sweater still fits. Office tip: it doesn’t.) So here we all are, scrambling to make the perfect Thanksgiving celebration, wondering how we’re going to complete the year’s remaining tasks before year-end, and otherwise scrambling like we have in virtually all previous holiday seasons. Yes, this is the perfect time of year to practice the annual ritual of attempting a moist turkey using a never-before-tried recipe. If you’re an employer, this is also the perfect time of year to look at your company’s non-competition agreement and how you might enforce it. As with all of these blogs, it’s important to note that ̶ generally speaking ̶ each state has its own rules and laws on the legality and enforceability of employer/employee non-competition agreements. In Florida, the legislature has created a statute specifically on point (hidden as it is among other laws discussing “restraint of trade”). Under a defined set of circumstances, Florida law allows an employer and an employee to enter into a non-competition agreement that limits for a period of time a departing employee’s ability to directly compete with the former employer. Some states specifically disfavor these restraints of trade. Some states allow an employer and employee to enter into a non-competition agreement without the benefit of having a statute on the matter to help define the allowable scope of such an agreement. On Black Friday and Cyber Monday retail stores around the nation and across the internet severely discount their products and services in order to attract customers and in an effort to turn their fiscal year profitable. It is the ultimate competition for consumer dollars. Similarly, businesses of all types are also using the final month of the calendar year to maximize collections and increase annual profits. For many employers this is also a time to contemplate whether and in what amount employees will receive annual bonuses. Knowing this, many employees wait until after their employers distribute bonuses to inform the employer that the employee intends to soon start working at a competitor. For many employers, this is the first time all year that will they look at the terms of their non-competition agreement and attempt to determine whether or not the terms are easily enforceable against the departing employee. However, just like the retailers who plan far in advance for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, employers should also take this opportunity to look over their agreements to determine ̶ in advance ̶ the best corporate strategy for enforcement. Some agreements include a devaluation of company stock for departing employees. Some agreements forbid competition for a defined period of time within a restricted area. Keep in mind that states tend to strictly interpret non-competition clauses. When terms are not clear, courts usually give the benefit of the doubt to the employee, favoring free competition whenever possible. Just like with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it’s difficult to know in advance whether or not your strategy will pan out. To give your company the best shot at success, it makes sense to look over your options in advance. Burr & Forman attorneys in nine offices throughout the Southeast are available to consult with you on these issues, to develop your strategy, and to work with you when the need to enforce arises.