The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which enforces antitrust law, proposed a rule that would ban companies from requiring workers to sign noncompete provisions as well as some training repayment agreements, which companies use to keep workers from leaving for better jobs, the agency said on Thursday.
Noncompete agreements "block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand," said FTC Chair Lina Khan in a statement.from the Biden administration of its support for labor, including backing a measure to make it harder for an employer to classify a person as an "independent contractor," which generally means fewer benefits and legal protections.
It would also stop companies from requiring workers to reimburse them for certain kinds of training if they leave before a certain period of time, a strategy some companies began using when noncompete provisions garnered tougher scrutiny. The training repayment would be banned if it "is not reasonably related to the costs the employer incurred for training the worker," the proposed rule said.
"We are contemplating legal action," said Heather, saying the Chamber did not believe that the FTC had the statutory authority to issue rules on competition matters.
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