Talk about scumbaggery:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/1...n_5978180.html
Jimmy Johns requires ALL of its employees to sign a non-compete agreement - right down to the cashier girl and the delivery guy.
From the agreement:
----------------------------------------
"Employee covenants and agrees that, during his or her employment with the Employer and for a period of two (2) years after … he or she will not have any direct or indirect interest in or perform services for … any business which derives more than ten percent (10%) of its revenue from selling submarine, hero-type, deli-style, pita and/or wrapped or rolled sandwiches and which is located with three (3) miles of either [the Jimmy John's location in question] or any such other Jimmy John's Sandwich Shop."
------------------------------------------
Got that?
The minimum wage guy cannot work at another business that sells sandwiches for two years after leaving Jimmy Johns - even if he is fired or laid off.
Now, the good news is the non-compete clause is almost guaranteed to be unenforceable.
Courts will generally only enforce these with respect to highly compensated, key employees that know key information about the company. So, you might be able to prevent your CEO or COO or somebody who knows your expansion and marketing plans and vendor pricing agreements from going to a competitor.
But you won't be able to prevent the guy making the sandwiches from moving to a competitor. This is particularly true in right-to-work states. Yay, Texas!
But that isn't the point.
The purpose of this clause is to intimidate or fool employees into thinking they cannot easily go somewhere else that pays better. So they are more likely to put up with corporate bullshit and are less likely to walk out the door and get a job at Subway.
And how exactly does the minimum wage guy applying for another job know whether or not Humperdinks or TGIF makes more than 10% of its money from sandwiches?
I hope they lose the lawsuit badly. I hope the Labor Department fines them. And I hope the public boycotts them.
I will.
Jersey Mike's makes a better sandwich anyhow.