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Thu Nov 11 02:42:48 PM EST 2021
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Non-Disclosure Agreement
Non-Compete
Assignment of Inventions

Everytime I read one of these, I'm overcome with revolt,
disgust, or even nausea. "Mere formalities," a company might
assert -- the last steps between you and the job. "If you
want, you're welcome to have your own attornies review them."
Not that they would necessarily wait; after all, there are
plenty of folks who really do believe that it's just a
formality... and frankly, for those people, it probably is.

The ordinary employee is not a competitive threat. The
ordinary employee is not terribly innovative or inventive.
The ordinary employee is not working on projects --
commercial or otherwise -- outside of business hours. The
ordinary employee isn't well-connected in the industry with
friends in different companies or agencies.

Moreover, the ordinary employee probably hasn't their
personal work stolen, or proposed innovative or inventive
work and had it quashed. The ordinary employee probably
hasn't had a lead corporate attorney for a huge,
multi-national defense-intelligence contractor summon him or
her to the office to be read the riot act when their new,
one-man company might be viewed as a competitor. (Ask me
about that one over a coffee someday.)

Hell, the ordinary new hire probably isn't in his 50's and
thinking about what a broadly applied 18-month non-compete
would mean to his family if the new job didn't work out
either.

Terms like "Right to Work" have challenged the broad reach
of some of these agreements. In response, companies will now
include language that you have considered the consequences
and have determined that such restrictions will not prevent
you from earning a living for yourself and your family.

"Choice" really is an illusion in some cases.