Texas Ruling Destroys Your Right To Work Where You Want

I personally waited a very long time for the ban on no-competes to begin, only to have it stricken down in a Texas court.

Are They Fair?

I have no idea where my "fairness" gene comes from. If I see something that I think is unfair it drives me nuts. I supposed fairness is in the mind of the beholder, but its one of the cornerstones of my personality. The same thing goes for bullying. As a kid who felt a bit pushed around, I can't stand by when I see it happen.

The Principle

While I have been perfectly fine with my employers over the years (mostly the same place with multiple owners) the idea of being under a "no-compete" contract really bothers me. I don't want to leave, I'm just frustrated that I can't. I am firmly of the belief that workers should be able to try to live better lives by selling themselves to the highest bidder.

Relief

It appeared there was going to finally be some relief with the Federal Trade Commission decided to ban no-compete contracts. That ban was challenged in court by a Dallas accounting firm and now has been put on hold. In short, a Texas judge ruled the ban as an overreach by the F.T.C. (the decision is a bit more in-depth than that, but you get the idea).

Why They Exist

I understand that companies want to protect their "trade secrets", but to ban someone from practicing their preferred profession is a bit much.  Think about the firm that brought the suit; they in effect want to say, "If we hire you to count, you can't count for anyone else for a certain length of time". It's ridiculous.

What About Workers Rights?

As for us workers, it prevents us from taking advantage of other opportunities, or even leveraging those opportunities to improve things on the home front. Of course Texas presents itself as a "right to work" state, but no one has the funds to fight a no-compete contract in court. In the meantime, we have to wait until a final determination is made on "no-compete" contracts in the U.S.