Sure, but depending on employer or industry, that could be many/all other employers. Biologist/chemist working on novel drugs - pretty limited field. Develope

Sure, but depending on employer or industry, that could be many/all other employers. Biologist/chemist working on novel drugs - pretty limited field. Developer at Amazon - Amazon does a bit of everything, I bet their legal team would prefer you didn't work elsewhere. As noted elsewhere, it's not even so much about an NDA/non-compete is enforceable - just the threat of legal action is enough to stop employees moving or stop other employers hiring people.