An Act relative to banning noncompetition agreements in the Commonwealth
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill seeks to ban noncompetition agreements in Massachusetts. Currently, employers can restrict former employees from working for competitors, but this legislation aims to eliminate these agreements, arguing they limit worker mobility and suppress wages. The bill would prevent employers from requiring employees to agree not to work for a competitor after leaving their job. It’s intended to give workers more freedom to pursue new employment opportunities.
Key provisions
- Prohibits employers from entering into noncompetition agreements with employees.
- Prevents employers from enforcing existing noncompetition agreements.
- Applies to all industries and sectors within the Commonwealth.
- Aims to increase worker mobility and bargaining power.
- Seeks to protect employees from undue restrictions on their future employment.
Who is affected
- Employees
- Employers
- Businesses
- Labor organizations
- Workers
Notable changes
- Eliminates noncompetition agreements, a common practice in Massachusetts.
- Provides greater flexibility for workers to change jobs.
- May impact businesses’ ability to protect proprietary information (though the bill does not directly address trade secrets).
Bill text
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Text extraction is in progress. View the official source.
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
3 on record
Primary sponsor
Patricia D. Jehlen
Cosponsors
James B. Eldridge
Patricia D. Jehlen
Arguments
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