4 ms·

I don't have an inherent problem with non-competes. I could understand why certain industries would need restrictions along those lines. The problem is when bu

I don't have an inherent problem with non-competes. I could understand why certain industries would need restrictions along those lines. The problem is when businesses expect the non-compete agreement when it is not a negotiated item during the hiring process. I recall one instance where I given an offer by a company and we went through the usual salary/benefits/role negotiation process. I accepted the offer and put in notice at current employer. During the new hire paperwork they added an extremely onerous non-compete agreement. Of course I refused to sign it. The most insulting part was how baffled they acted. Like they just assumed they could add demands like that without any additional consideration. This attitude of 'well we need to protect ourselves, and we can ask for this legally'. Well yes you can ask for anything, but it's not what we agreed as the terms of employment.

Terr_ 11y ago
"What we get is valuable, but what you give up is worthless." It's true that the world isn't zero-sum, but it's offensive for them to just assume that means you're going to surrender something for nothing.
- johngalt 11y ago
  That they would just demand it without even negotiating it during the hiring process. Just assuming that I would cripple my career for years to minimize their risk without any compensation in exchange. "I understand that your feel your business is at risk for poaching/trade secrets etc... But what I don't understand is why you assumed that I would aborb the costs of your risk."
- throwaway2048 11y ago
  Reminds me of additudes towards online surveylence vis a vis marketing and advertisement.
anexprogrammer 11y ago
Can confirm how surprised they always seem to act. I've always negotiated it away (or very nearly, but acceptably, in one case) as part of the checking that contract of employment matches offer and interview promises. A few times they've tried to imply I'm the first not to simply blindly sign everything and how difficult this is going to be. I've never once lost a role or ended up having to sign my life away. Contracting taught me to read every contract, and every clause is negotiable.
- jsprogrammer 11y ago
  >A few times they've tried to imply I'm the first not to simply blindly sign everything and how difficult this is going to be. "None of our contracts are valid" That's all I heard.
  - Terr_ 11y ago
    "So you don't really want that provision or expect it to matter, it's just part of the boilerplate? Okay, then let's just scratch it out and continue." "What's that, your legal department is too busy or too inflexible to approve that tiny change in a timely manner? Should I be concerned about the near-future health of the company?"

Terr_ 11y ago

"What we get is valuable, but what you give up is worthless." It's true that the world isn't zero-sum, but it's offensive for them to just assume that means you're going to surrender something for nothing.

johngalt 11y ago
That they would just demand it without even negotiating it during the hiring process. Just assuming that I would cripple my career for years to minimize their risk without any compensation in exchange. "I understand that your feel your business is at risk for poaching/trade secrets etc... But what I don't understand is why you assumed that I would aborb the costs of your risk."
throwaway2048 11y ago
Reminds me of additudes towards online surveylence vis a vis marketing and advertisement.

anexprogrammer 11y ago

Can confirm how surprised they always seem to act. I've always negotiated it away (or very nearly, but acceptably, in one case) as part of the checking that contract of employment matches offer and interview promises. A few times they've tried to imply I'm the first not to simply blindly sign everything and how difficult this is going to be. I've never once lost a role or ended up having to sign my life away. Contracting taught me to read every contract, and every clause is negotiable.

jsprogrammer 11y ago
>A few times they've tried to imply I'm the first not to simply blindly sign everything and how difficult this is going to be. "None of our contracts are valid" That's all I heard.
- Terr_ 11y ago
  "So you don't really want that provision or expect it to matter, it's just part of the boilerplate? Okay, then let's just scratch it out and continue." "What's that, your legal department is too busy or too inflexible to approve that tiny change in a timely manner? Should I be concerned about the near-future health of the company?"