Economy Talk

Has anyone actually read the non-compete clause in their job contract?

Lawyer here (US). A friend asked me to look at her offer letter and buried on page 7 was a clause saying she couldn't work for any "competing business" for 18 months, anywhere in the country. She's a mid-level designer.

Enforceability varies a lot by state and country, and plenty of these clauses are written broader than any court would accept. But most people never read them, never negotiate them, and then feel trapped when they want to leave.

So I'm curious: in your country, are non-competes common for ordinary jobs? Did you ever push back on one? Not legal advice, obviously, just genuinely interested in how this differs around the world.