Can You Lose Your Ability to Take Another Job in Your Industry in the Fine Print?

Yes.  Veteran consumer reporter Bob Sullivan explains the hazards of signing away your livelihood potential for some period of time in the “non-compete” clauses of the fine print. 

The New York Times wrote and editorialized about these this week.  People are signing away their future employment rights in the fine print;  it’s not just companies that require people with unique skills or information to sign these, but also routine low wage jobs are now forcing their workers to forfeit their rights to go work or intern! for a competitor nearby.   These clauses upend labor mobility and the whole notion that people can walk away from abusive employers or unsuitable workplaces.