What originally was a protection against high-flying Executives who left companies for a lucrative offer from a competitor – and took their company knowledge with them – has now been weaponised against the least powerful in the job market.

The increased use of contracts to get around inconvenient industrial relations protections for ordinary workers now contains generic no-compete clauses.

This effectively means that you can’t leave a job and still work in the same industry without potentially getting sued.

The Treasury Department is looking into it.

Image: Image – Courtesy R Chambers

Produced By: Roderick Chambers

Featured In Story: Dr Andrew Leigh Assistant Minister for Employment

First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 10 April 2024