Should We Make Non-Compete Agreements Illegal in Masssachusetts?
I say yes, in Sunday's Globe column, though as always, I'm curious to hear what you think.
If you want to change the status quo, here are a couple sites to know about:
There were so many great comments that couldn't fit in the story, but just one for the blog from Jeff Anderson, CEO of Quick Hit (and former CEO of Turbine, another local games company mentioned in the column).
"The biggest problem we have as a start-up is attracting and retaining talent. If someone wants to relocate to Massachusetts, they need to feel like if this job doesn't work out, they can find another job. But if non-competes are de rigeur, if not only reduces the number of companies that you have in any given space, like games, but it forces those people to leave." Anderson adds that he has received two or three dozen job applications from talented people working for other games companies in Massachusetts, but says that it would be problematic to hire them because of their non-competes.
"When you think about all the other problems that start-ups have to deal with, from capital and vision to competition, and all the pieces that have to be properly aligned, non-competes just add to that."
Of course, like most companies in Massachusetts, even though Anderson is philosophically against non-competes, he asks employees to sign one, even though he says it is as narrowly-defined as possible.
If you want to change the status quo, here are a couple sites to know about:
- Prohibit Restrictive Employee Covenants
- Rep. Will Brownsberger's site. Brownsberger is the state rep who has introduced a bill to make non-competes illegal in Massachusetts
- Alliance for Open Competition
- Massachusetts Non-Compete Law blog
There were so many great comments that couldn't fit in the story, but just one for the blog from Jeff Anderson, CEO of Quick Hit (and former CEO of Turbine, another local games company mentioned in the column).
"The biggest problem we have as a start-up is attracting and retaining talent. If someone wants to relocate to Massachusetts, they need to feel like if this job doesn't work out, they can find another job. But if non-competes are de rigeur, if not only reduces the number of companies that you have in any given space, like games, but it forces those people to leave." Anderson adds that he has received two or three dozen job applications from talented people working for other games companies in Massachusetts, but says that it would be problematic to hire them because of their non-competes.
"When you think about all the other problems that start-ups have to deal with, from capital and vision to competition, and all the pieces that have to be properly aligned, non-competes just add to that."
Of course, like most companies in Massachusetts, even though Anderson is philosophically against non-competes, he asks employees to sign one, even though he says it is as narrowly-defined as possible.
Labels: Alliance for Open Competition, Jeffrey Anderson, non-compete agreements, Play Hard, policy, Turbine, videogames, Will Brownsberger
posted by Scott Kirsner at
9:17 AM
1 Comments:
As a current job seeker and someone who has had to sign them, I think they should be done away with. While it hasn't prevented me from taking a job - yet, it could be only a matter of time.
Unfortunately, one doesn't get to see the non-compete / non-disclosure agreement until after the interviewing process is completed and an offer comes through (usually). Why waste everyone's time if there's going to be something in the non-compete preventing employment? In this day and age, there's too little loyalty from the employers/companies towards their employees. Why should we (the employee or job seeker) be expected to sign our lively hoods away?
Further more, many of the non-compete / non-disclosure agreements have intellectual property clauses in them which go over the line. If one wants to supplement their income by taking a freelance job here and there, why does the full-time employer have any right to what one does after hours, away from the job? Or have we become a society where there is no down time?
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