Google Uses Non-Competes

I ran across some discussions on the Internet recently about Googles' use of noncompete agreements. It appears that recently departed DoubleClick employees (purchased by Google) are saying that Google managers asked them to sign one-year noncompete agreements and then laid them off one week later.

I don't know if these allegations are true or not. But I do know that noncompetes in employment contracts for IT professionals are becoming increasingly more common due to the amount of intellectual property involved.

Whether the noncompete contracts are enforceable depends on the state law involved. In California most non-competes are unenforceable but in Virginia a different analysis applies.

Word to the Wise: Better know your rights BEFORE signing a noncompete!