QUESTION
A contract is a document drafted by the employer and signed by their respective employee. It is up to the employee to review this document and, if in agreement with the content, the employee signs it away, binding them to those terms. One particular clause that comes up often during discussion is the non-compete agreement.
A non-compete is a form of restrictive covenant drafted by the employer which restricts the employee from working for another industry. Let’s say an employee signed a non-compete 15 years ago and was not given a copy. Readers from the Globe and Mail would like to know, can the employee be bound by this agreement today? Or does he/she need to sign every so often to make it valid?
ANSWER
The Non-Compete Agreement
Well-known Globe and Mail columnist for the Report of Business and Toronto Employment lawyer, Daniel Lublin answers this question with his expertise. He says that non-compete agreements do not need to be renewed, unless stated otherwise in the contract. It is also worth mentioning that the agreement is not deemed invalid simply because the employee did not receive a copy of the agreement. An employer can rely on this document regardless.
To find out more on this topic, read Daniel Lublin’s column and full article I have to work through my severance. Is this legal?