Many U.S. employers use non-compete agreements to protect their
sensitive proprietary information. These agreements establish a
"buffer" time period during which a departing employee is
prohibited from taking a job with a competitor, often within a
defined geographic area. While non-compete restrictions were once
linked primarily with highly compensated executive employees, a
report issued by the U.S. Treasury Department earlier this year
indicates that 18 percent of all workers and 15 percent of all
employees without a college degree are currently bound by a
non-compete agreement. Workers unlikely to have access to sensitive
employer information or trade secrets, such as sandwich makers,
temporary warehouse staff and hairstylists, are increasingly being
asked to sign non-compete agreements. Concerns about the increase
in, and unfair use of, non-compete agreements in employment
contracts prompted the White House, on October 25, 2016, to issue a
"Call to Action" on
