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Non compete clause

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  1. #21

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    All my employment contracts were only 2 or 3 pages long with lots of spaces, so I read everything to make sure i wasn't getting screwed (too much). Is it normal to have lots of small print or technical language which most people would skim over? Maybe it is in some industries?


  2. #22

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    I run through the contract with the individual before they sign. It doesn't take that much time and they then cannot say I didn't understand or I didn't read it, etc. Ours are 6-7 pages long.

    Personally I have always read every single word of my contracts and ask questions to clarify if necessary. I don't understand people who skip reading and understanding in its entirety, such an important document

    HK_Katherine likes this.

  3. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by shri:
    You need to hangout with a better class of people.
    Stories I've heard. I've worked in a scenario back in my early days. Long gone from that world.

  4. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by HK_Katherine:
    I seriously struggle to understand how anyone would want to employ someone so disinterested in their employment that they fail to read their contract. Except perhaps McD's burger flippers. Common guys - it doesn't take long to read an employment contract! It's probably - for a young person - one of their largest financial commitments before buying a house.
    I always read my contract and find it interesting all the mistakes. Even large companies.

    I've joined a company with multiple new hires on the same day. Everyone was presented a contract to sign whilst I indicated I would take mine home to review. Everyone else simply signed on the spot. Only 30 pages of size 10 font. No one read it and even a bit of a fuss was made about me reading it.

    So I do see many who never read their contracts. It's more common than you think.
    gigglinggal likes this.

  5. #25

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    I have first hand experience of this. Am traveling now, will try and pen some thoughts soon.


  6. #26

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    Quote Originally Posted by MandM!:
    Only 30 pages of size 10 font. No one read it and even a bit of a fuss was made about me reading it.
    30 friggin pages long WTF

    Thank Fook mine was only 1 page
    MandM! likes this.

  7. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by chuckster007:
    30 friggin pages long WTF

    Thank Fook mine was only 1 page
    New hires normally dont do anything on their first day anyway... they can spend a couple of hours reading their contract, marking any mistakes or disagreements, improve the contract for the next hires.

  8. #28

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    Aug 2014
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    From my very own experience with actually getting threatened to get sued by my insane ex-employer you should not have anything to worry about and you can tell them to sod off. It does depend on the wording of the contract and how the clause is defined. In my case I was not allowed to work for competition for 6 months in all of HK. It was deemed too long and the geographic scope too wide to be reasonable and enforceable as it hindered me to make a living.

    I don´t know what line of work you are in, I have heard from one trainer switching gyms within the non compete period of time (3 months) and within the geographical scope (1 km) so it was deemed reasonable by the court as it did not hinder him from earning a living.

    In general it depends how your clause is worded and then the employer would still need to go to court which might be much more expensive than the salary they would pay you so it would most definitely not be worth it.

    I personally would go for the new job and see if your old employer would actually do anything apart from writing a scary letter.


  9. #29

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    Aug 2014
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    Regarding reading and signing non competes and contracts, mine was 14 pages long in perfect legalese so even though I read my contract in detail before signing, as a non legal person you still do not really know the implications of such clauses, what is enforceable and what isn´t . Just because something is in a contract doesn't mean it's legal and vice versa. My lawyer told me that if HR did not go through the contract, especially the non compete clause in person and in detail they also can´t enforce it as you were not aware of what you were actually signing.


  10. #30

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    @blackbutterfly as an HR manager I'm curious to know what happened???