This could be a huge win for American workers: Last month, the FTC proposed a rule to ban exploitative noncompete agreements.

Right now, noncompete agreements are being unethically used across the country to prevent workers from quitting their jobs for a better offer. Competition drives markets – and when noncompetes eliminate competition in the labor market, employers don’t have an incentive to give their workers better pay, working conditions, or benefits.

One in five American workers have signed noncompete agreements – and it’s a problem across industries. From Jiffy Lube mechanics to Amazon warehouse workers, employees across the country are unfairly bound to their jobs by noncompetes. Jimmy John’s even tried to use noncompetes to prevent their employers from working at any other establishment that serves sandwiches.

A ban on abusive and excessive noncompetes would have a huge impact on our economy: Estimates show that banning noncompete agreements could grow paychecks for American workers by nearly $300 billion per year and open up new career opportunities for 30 million people – but the FTC hasn’t approved the policy yet.

Corporate lobby groups are bitterly opposed to banning noncompete agreements because they want to keep competition for the labor force as low as possible. If we’re going to get this policy across the finish line, we need the public to speak out now: Will you submit a public comment to ban noncompete agreements?

Several states have already moved to restrict or ban noncompete agreements – including our home state of Washington. Attorney General Bob Ferguson began investigating noncompete agreements in 2019, and his work led the Washington state legislature to eliminate noncompete agreements for any employee earning less than $100,000 annually.

If enacted, this FTC rule would expand Washington’s noncompete ban to the entire country – and it would go a step further by eliminating noncompete agreements for all employees regardless of income. 

Please, will you make a public comment today to support the FTC’s proposed rule and ban noncompete agreements?

Thanks for speaking out,

Team Civic Action