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[Cyan]

I don't think this is necessarily exclusive to Amazon or even big box retailers. I did temp administrative work for a defense contractor and had to sign a non-compete document, even though all I was doing was organizing calendars and ordering catering.

They just wanted to make sure I didn't take any notes on any blueprints and went running to a different DoD contractor. It didn't mean I couldn't transfer my MS Outlook knowledge from job to job.

But you don't need a non-compete for that, just an NDA.

 

[Palette Swap]

I don't think this is necessarily exclusive to Amazon or even big box retailers. I did temp administrative work for a defense contractor and had to sign a non-compete document, even though all I was doing was organizing calendars and ordering catering.

They just wanted to make sure I didn't take any notes on any blueprints and went running to a different DoD contractor. It didn't mean I couldn't transfer my MS Outlook knowledge from job to job.

This is non-disclosure and confidentiality, not non-competing.
The former makes sense, the latter hampers mobility.

 

[Yaboosh]

I had to sign a non compete when I was a delivery driver for papa John's. I knew it meant dick all.

 

[crazygambit]

pretty much.

Plus different states and cities have laws that void agreements like this anyway.

Probably, but these workers would still need to hire lawyers and waste time in court.

How good is it gonna look to your new employer that you have to take time off to go fight you non compete in court against Amazon? It's easier to hire someone without the non compete and be done with it, so it still has an effect on the workers.

 

[n64coder]

It is bad but it is also basically unenforceable.

Exactly, how would any company enforce it? They would need to invest time/energy/money to figure out where you're working. Unless you tell them, they're not going to have any interest in pursuing you unless you're C-level or some architect/founder.
These things exist all the time in my industry and I never heard of anyone getting pursued.
If you do plan to work for a competitor, then you just don't tell any co-workers where you're going.

Probably, but these workers would still need to hire lawyers and waste time in court.

How good is it gonna look to your new employer that you have to take time off to go fight you non compete in court against Amazon?

When is Amazon going to go after a worker? I would just ignore it.

 

[bodyboarder]

If any company could fire everyone and replace them with robots, they would.

Fixed.

 

[zychi]

Amazon are as shitty an employer as they are good at customer service.

get you account put on hold for a mistake by CS because of all the scammers who buy from third party sellers on Amazon and claim they never got the item and file atoz the day the item ships, and tell me how great their CS is. amazon ALWAYS sides with the buyer, regardless of how long you have had your account with them.

you cant talk to anyone who can help you because none of the higher ups have phone or email support. so you get sent to "Summer" who is actually Raul from Costa Rica(great dude tho) who cant even access your account and profusely apologizes for their broken system.


them doing this to employees is no surprise to me.

 

[Kusagari]

Doing this to the lowest rung of the totem pole is beyond fucked up.

Imagine Target/Walmart/Best Buy or random call centers doing this crap, even if it is probably unenforceable.

 

[nateeasy]

How would they know or enforce that?

 

[PnCIa]

We are talking about the US here, right?

 

[Ivan A Nguyen]

I work in a warehouse that is right across the street from an Amazon warehouse and we hire people who used to work there all the time. Then again, it might be that Texas gets a different contract because we are a right to work state.

 

[Liferebooted]

Don't like it? Don't take the job, its that simple.

 

[Tapiozona]

This is terrible. There is no justification for this.

My company works quite extensively with supply chain management, warehousing and distribution centers. Amazons' supply chain is the most complex in the world and every company we work with uses them as a best in class model they'd like to emulate in some fashion(particularly same day delivery or to either customer homes or retail outlets). The non compete of even warehouse workers makes sense because these employees have first hand knowledge of the ongoing of their day to day operations. I may not agree with it, but it definitely makes sense why they have the non compete.

 

[Deleted member 13876]

Don't like it? Don't take the job, its that simple.

Reactionary bullshit.

 

[Cyan]

I work in a warehouse that is right across the street from an Amazon warehouse and we hire people who used to work there all the time. Then again, it might be that Texas gets a different contract because we are a right to work state.

"Right to work" is a euphemism for opposition to unions. It doesn't actually have much to do with what you'd think it would. Texas does have non-competes, though in order to be enforceable the employer must provide "adequate consideration" in exchange for the agreement. (see here for some details on what this means)

Don't like it? Don't take the job, its that simple.

Yep. Just like if you don't like EULAs, you can simply pick the version of the software you want that doesn't include them.

 

[CadetMahoney]

No court in the nation would enforce non compete clause against some non skilled stock-picker warehouse worker. That would just not happen.

Basically.

 

[bomma_man]

Restraints of trade are prima facie void in commonwealth countries. They have to be reasonable to be enforceable, and this sure as hell isn't.

I can't imagine it would be in the US either. We aren't quite at the stage of SCOTUS's early 20th century 'right of contract' yet.

 

[GravityMan]

Many employers just use non-competes as a scare tactic. They know that most people are not legally savvy and they use that to their advantage. Whether they're enforceable or not (depending on where you are) isn't all that important to employers.

It's still an employer's market out there. That gives employers leverage, and allows them to get away with all sorts of crazy stuff. Many employers will fling all sorts of draconian "requirements" at potential new hires because they know that the person badly wants the job and will accept whatever stipulations (even questionable ones) the company will mention in order to get that job.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

The greatest part about non-competes is that lawyers, the people who actually created the concept, cannot be legally bound by them.