FTC Crackdown on Non-Competes
6 January 2023
The FTC is cracking down on noncompete agreements. Will this impact you?
As this article
explains, the Federal Trade Commission has begun its crackdown on noncompete agreements, just as they proposed a rule to ban them entirely in the future.
In my opinion, noncompete agreements only belong in the realm of Sr. Management. Besides almost being universally unenforceable for most employees/positions, they are likely going to be made illegal in the near future based on these recent rulings.
Attempting to prevent line-level employees from working for competitors who are paying more, or even from starting their own business, serves no practical purpose other than decreasing trust and confidence in your brand and has people looking at the door earlier than they should want to!
If you have employees sign noncompete agreements, reach out to us to discuss whether it's a valid practice for your specific situation, or if you may want to change how you do business before it gets you into trouble.
By the way: Non-Solicitation agreements are NOT being targeted with this move. Customer lists, marketing materials, etc. can be counted under proprietary company property that your policies should have listed as "required to return upon separation for any reason." Use of said stolen property to sabotage an ex-employer is MUCH easier to enforce than "don't be a tech for 2 years."
A guide to the types of employee drug testing: Pre-Employment, Post-Accident, Random Selection, and Reasonable Suspicion.
Employees can be your greatest asset... or your biggest frustration. When issues come up, here are some steps to make sure you respond appropriately instead of just reacting from emotions. Trust us, you'll get much better results this way.
Hold your employees to the standard of being PROFESSIONAL representatives of the Trades, not just technical experts, and you greatly minimize the risk of getting hit with an EEOC settlement. Here's why.
Written warnings can be key in managing employees, so you need to know both the art and the science of doing them correctly. These tips for what to include - and what NOT to include - in your written warnings will help you to communicate clearly to your employees, and get you set to defend yourself in a potential legal claim against you.
You need a strong Brand and good company culture to attract - and keep - the best employees. Here are some tips for how to showcase your home service company as a great place to work and take the first step towards successful recruiting.
From Labor Law Posters to Safety Manuals – everything your staff needs to boost compliance and morale, in one dedicated spot. Having an up-to-date and complete Employee Resource Center will give you the peace of mind to run your business without worrying about compliance.
Reasonable Accommodations in the workplace are no joke - you can get into serious legal trouble if you don't comply with the ADA. Yet here's a case study on a company who terminated someone for an issue directly related to their disability and was not held legally liable. Check out the details of how this might apply to your business.
Home services companies might be tempted to classify workers as independent contractors, but we STRONGLY advise you to hire them as W-2 workers instead. And it's not just because the government might fine you (big time!). Read more for tips on why it'll be in your company's best interest.
Listen to The H.R. Guy explaining the nuances of HR for the Trades in 2025, with tips on common HR pitfalls and how to avoid them, the value of Stay Interviews, key mistakes with performance pay, and the ultimate goal of "Representing the Brand."
You thought you were rid of that toxic employee, but now he's causing you even more problems - posting negative Google reviews and refusing to return company property. Why is this happening?