Another touchy issue is non-competes after employment, meaning that "you can't work for anyone else or hire our employees." States such as CA are very much agai

Another touchy issue is non-competes after employment, meaning that "you can't work for anyone else or hire our employees." States such as CA are very much against anything that restricts someone's ability to engage in free trade, especially when the restrictions apply post-employment. Imagine how ridiculous it would be to ask this of independent contractors, whose roles are defined by that they engage with multiple clients at once and have looser associations--that is, they are independent. Yet I see a lot of CA contracts for independents hold this clause, and even argue for its fairness. From the BAR[1]: Not only are non-compete covenants void in California, but an employer may be liable in tort for wrongful termination if it fires an employee who refuses to sign an employment agreement that contains an unenforceable covenant not to compete. D’Sa v. Playhut, Inc., 85 Cal. App. 4th 927 (Cal. Ct. App. 2000). This rule holds even if the agreement contains a choiceof-law or severability provision. Id. at 934. The concern is that the presence of an unenforceable non-compete covenant in an employment agreement may have an undesirable deterrent effect on employees who do not know their rights under California law. “[I]t is not likely that [the defendant’s] employees are sufficiently versed in California’s law of contracts such that they would know (1) that the covenant not to compete is invalid and therefore not enforceable by [the defendant] and (2) that they could sign the agreement without fear they would be bound by the covenant not to compete.” Id Read your contracts. Get attorney review and specifically ask about the parts that make you uncomfortable. If you're planning to make $XX,000 or more from this engagement, isn't it worth the $100-$300 for the guarantee? [1] https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/events/labor_law/2013/03/employment_rightsresponsibilitiescommitteemidwintermeeting/4_orrick.authcheckdam.pdf https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/events/labor_law...