#WorkforceWednesday: Non-Compete Compliance, New Requirements for Plan Sponsors, Get Ahead on Anti-Harassment Training - Employment Law This Week®
#WorkforceWednesday: OSHA’s Three-Phase Plan, COVID-19 Workplace Training, Virginia’s Seismic Shift - Employment Law This Week®
National Backlash Builds Against Non-Compete Agreements - Employment Law This Week® - Trending News
Since July 1, 2020, Virginia has prohibited employers from entering into, enforcing or threatening to enforce non-compete agreements with “low wage employees.” The definition of “low wage employee” periodically changes...more
It’s never easy to make accurate predictions about what we’ll see in the workplace in the coming year, especially given the recent volatility we’ve experienced and expect for the foreseeable future. Despite the ever-present...more
In July 2019, Maryland banned non-compete clauses for employees who earn $15 an hour or $31,200 a year, or less. In 2020, neighboring Virginia passed a law prohibiting non-competes for “low-wage employees” (individuals...more
On June 8, 2022, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed Colorado House Bill 22-1317 (the “Bill”), which was passed by the Colorado Legislature on May 10, 2022. Effective 90 days from the end of the legislative session – on...more
This week, we look at the increased focus on non-compete agreements across the country. The Current Environment for Non-Compete Agreements (see video attached) There has been a wave of legislation restricting non-compete...more
On Aug. 13, 2021, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed Illinois Senate Bill 672 (the “Amendment”), an amendment to the Illinois Freedom to Work Act (the “Act”) that significantly limits an employer’s ability to bind employees...more
Over the past 10–15 years, we have seen an explosion of legislative activity related to restrictive covenants. This activity is happening not only in state legislatures but on the federal level as well. While each proposal is...more
Over the past few years, states across the country have sought to limit or reduce the use of employee non-compete agreements. While some states have imposed outright bans on such agreements, many more have passed laws that...more
As we previously reported, a new amendment to the Illinois Freedom to Work Act (820 ILCS § 90) regarding the use of non-competition and non-solicitation restrictive covenants for Illinois employees will take effect on January...more
Recently, the federal government and various state governments have spoken out concerning new limits on non-compete agreements and other post-employment restrictions. Although the trend toward limiting non-compete agreements...more
President Biden has directed the FTC to crack down on non-competition agreements. Non-compete clauses can unfairly hinder the mobility of low-level workers due to disparate bargaining power. Originally Published in...more
Joining a recent slew of other states, Illinois recently enacted a new law limiting the use of restrictive covenants and codified existing case law around their enforcement and interpretation. ...more
Note - This article has been updated to reflect that the amendments to the Illinois Freedom to Work Act discussed in our June 9, 2021 article have now been signed into law. The law goes into effect January 1, 2022. Joining...more
On January 1, 2022, Public Act 102-0358, an amendment to the Illinois Freedom to Work Act will take effect and impact all non-compete agreements entered into prospectively. The law will ban employers from using non-compete...more
On August 13, 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law an amendment to the Illinois Freedom to Work Act (820 ILCS § 90), which imposes restrictions on the use of non-competition and non-solicitation (employee and...more
In the last 10 years, states across the country have passed measures imposing new requirements and restrictions on employers wishing to use non-compete agreements with their workforces. In 2016, Illinois enacted the Freedom...more
On July 9, 2021, President Biden issued his Executive Order directing federal agencies to implement seventy-two different initiatives intended to promote competition across the American economy. Ideally, these initiatives...more
Citing concerns about worker mobility and advocating for increased market competition, President Biden signed Executive Order No. 14036: Promoting Competition in the American Economy, on July 9, 2021. The Order, published in...more
On December 15, 2020, the District of Columbia Council unanimously passed the Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act of 2020, under which the District of Columbia joins California and a small handful of jurisdictions...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On September 1, 2020, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved another temporary emergency ordinance, this time protecting employees, contractors, and job applicants from adverse employment action if...more
For months, Virginia employers have heard about the new wave of employee-friendly legislation that will create additional costs and challenges for Virginia employers. Today, as Virginia enters Phase 3 of its reopening plan,...more
Virginia may be for lovers, but it no longer loves non-compete agreements. Starting on July 1, 2020, employers may not “enter into, enforce, or threaten to enforce” a non-compete agreement with any “low-wage employee.” As...more
Legislators in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the site of Patrick Henry’s infamous “Give me liberty, or give me death” speech, have enacted legislation that gives more liberty to low-wage workers looking to leave for greener...more
When the Democrats took control of the General Assembly in addition to the governorship in the November 2019 election, many predicted an expansion of workers’ rights. That prediction was realized with the 2020 Virginia...more
As sophisticated employers know, an employer must track and comply with developments not only in federal law, but also state and local law. This blog post details key changes in employment laws in the Commonwealth of Virginia...more