> He was thrilled when he got an offer for an $18-per-hour cleaning job in the Seattle area — a big step up from the $15-per-hour job he had taken a few months

> He was thrilled when he got an offer for an $18-per-hour cleaning job in the Seattle area — a big step up from the $15-per-hour job he had taken a few months earlier > After Almeida switched jobs, a lawyer from his old employer, ServiceMaster, sent him a letter threatening a lawsuit > The company told the Seattle Times that the noncompete agreement was necessary because ServiceMaster had provided Almeida with valuable training So require that the employee stay with the company until they recoup the investment. If the employee leaves before the term is up, charge the employee the cost of training.