Employment Contract

[bluebear]

What is the name of your state? D.C
I signed a contract with a company that I recently left. It states that for twelve months after leaving the company I can not work with 2 miles of this location.

When I signed the contract I did not receive a copy of the one that I signed. When I asked for a copy I received a blank copy. Not the one that I signed. So I'm not even sure if they both say the same thing. The blank copy talks about the twelve months and 2 miles. I not sure what the copy that I signed actually says.

My problem is that the perfect new job is 1 mile away. Can I work there and not have to worry?

Please Help.

 

[cbg]

Probably not. Contrary to popular belief, most non-compete agreement are enforceable unless they are unreasonably broad, such as not working within 100 mile radius for three years. I doubt if two miles for one year will be considered unreasonable.

You will have to show the agreement to a local attorney for a definite answer, however, as the EXACT wording counts.

 

[Beth3]

You signed an employment contract that states you cannot work for ANY employer within a 2-mile radius of your current place of business? That's a very odd provision. Usually non-compete type agreements specify that an employee cannot work for a competitor (and sometimes a customer and/or supplier to the company) for a certain amount of time after employment ends.

Since no one here has read the contract (the exact wording matters) and whether the provisions are enforceable are a matter of your State's relevant case law, you're going to have to show the document to a local attorney for an expert opinion.

 

[bluebear]

Thank You. I already knew the answer was no. I was just hoping someone would tell me differently. I keep reading over it it's iron clad. But I can't understand why I couldn't get a copy of the one that I signed.

 

[Beth3]

Neither cbg nor I have told you the agreement is iron-clad. You need to show the document to a local attorney to find out if that restriction is enforcable.