I Hate My Old Job!!!!

I had left my old job a little while back. Now I was an artist at a apparel screen printing business. Anyway I got an opportunity to possibly work for another such company this week. A far better one. Better pay, better benefits, way closer to home. I talked with there HR person and was stoked. I had all the qualifications and more. BUT..... They needed to see my old company's anti-competition form. (If you don't know what it is, it's a legal form that says you will not work for a competitor or tell trade secrets for a year or so after leaving the company.) TWO YEARS!!! Those @%$#!
have screwed me out an excellent job and probably other ones in the future!
(To explain I have never worked at a job with such a document until this one, and didn't know I was signing such a thing, as the HR guy just said sign these papers without explaining them.) I would NOT have worked at that job if I had known they would screw me for two years!
I don't know if I feel like screaming or crying right now.

AIR WAVES INC. @$#% you @#*$^%&!!!

There are ways around those clauses.

Talk to a contract, and I hate to say it but I must, lawyer.

Thanks.
Yeah I'm seriously thinking about that. Thier document is absolutely unreasonable. About like how the whole company is.

If your an artist, in Ohio, and reading this. PLease do NOT get a job at Air Waves Inc. They'll screw you out of your career after you leave.

Originally Posted by mmfrankford

(To explain I have never worked at a job with such a document until this one, and didn't know I was signing such a thing, as the HR guy just said sign these papers without explaining them.)

You put your signature at the bottom of a contract such as this without knowing what you signed? Did I read this correct? If I did, then it's your fault, not the fault of the company. Did they hold a gun to your head and make you sign that paper?

Originally Posted by Wilomn

I hate to say it but I must, lawyer.

.....



It really is a good idea to read what you sign.

I do empathize with you, however. Really yummy jobs are out there, and it is difficult to see one pass by.

Its very common for the adv and printing businesses to haev no compete contracts, they usually are for 1 year, but I worked at a billboard company where all of he salespeople and artist (including me) were under a 3 year no compete within our state only so they would have had to leave the state to pursue their career.

Sorry you signed it without knowing about it but its very common, it keep headhunters from stealing employees with current clients from their current jobs to take the business to other companies.

We did let one salesman out of his contract but he agreed under a new contract that he would not pursue our current customers at his new place of employment.

Definitely check with an attorney. Some states (like Tennessee) have what are sometimes referred to as "Right to work" laws that pretty much make a non-compete worthless. 2 years seems pretty steep. I have never heard of that even in IT (where non-competes are VERY commonplace).