California has made non-competes unenforceable for decades. Silicon Valley would not have blossomed, if they had been enforceable. BTW, Do You know that Fast Food Joints have non-competes that their minimum wage workers have to sign so they can no longer work at any other fast food joint for years after being terminated? Non-competes are modern day slavery by the corporations. YMMV. IMHO.
“Non-competes are modern day slavery by the corporations.”
Yup. And that’s where it becomes a Federal civil rights issue and not a state’s contract law issue.
Non compete agreements in places like fast food and retail sales are the kinds of misuse that has created the new rules.
The FTC is saying NCA’s are contrary to public policy, much the same way selling oneself into slavery or selling your organs would be under US law.