As a business owner, you understand there are many different things that can affect your company’s profitability and bottom line. One of the most concerning is the threat of the misuse of your company’s private or proprietary information. This often happens when employees move from one company to another, taking certain knowledge with them. There are ways that you can protect your business interests from this type of threat.
One way that you can protect your business is through the use of employment contracts. In your contracts, you can include terms that will allow you to clarify the nature of your employee’s relationship with your company, including pay and other details. You can also include non-compete and non-disclosure clauses in your contracts, protecting certain information in case that employee ever works for a competitor.
The use of non-compete agreements in employment contracts
A non-compete agreement is a clause included in an employment contract that specifies where an employee can work after leaving his or her current employer. This clause essentially says that an employee cannot leave a current work situation in order to work for a direct competitor. In most cases, the agreements also include terms that outline how an employee can use information he or she possesses because of his or her job. Typically, these contracts are only enforceable for a specifically named term.
For a non-compete agreement to withstand disputes and the potential scrutiny of the court, it is necessary that one drafts them carefully. They must be clear in geography, scope and duration. The contracts must specify who is to be a competitor, and how long the employee must refrain from working with a competing business. It is the right of any business owner to protect his or her company’s interests through one of these agreements with employees.
Drafting and enforcing agreements
It is important that a business owner have experienced insight when drafting employment contracts and agreements that could impact employee rights. If you are a business owner in Georgia, you will benefit from seeking professional support as you draft contracts that are enforceable, beneficial and fair for all parties.
