>But they can hint, and work towards that secret without telling anyone. They may even let it slip by accident. >Non-competes are designed to prevent Worker X

>But they can hint, and work towards that secret without telling anyone. They may even let it slip by accident. >Non-competes are designed to prevent Worker X from revealing this secret, even by accident. If the person is willing to break one law, why wouldn't they be willing to break another? Non-competes have nothing to do with this. It's just another technique businesses use to try and disrupt proper market forces in the job market. It should not be legal to use a non-compete contract unless you are going to pay the person's salary while they're under the agreement. Why should tax payers be footing that bill?