Changed my mind about non-compete clauses after a talk with a freelancer

Met a graphic designer at a coffee shop in Portland last month who showed me how a broad non-compete wrecked her ability to take local gigs for two years. She said 'it basically locked me out of my own neighborhood,' and I realized our agency's standard clause was way too aggressive. Has anyone else softened their stance on these after hearing a real story?

2 comments

2 Comments

grayc271d ago

Cut the scope to just direct competitors within five miles.

miles721d ago

Hell yeah, that hits hard. Here's the angle nobody's talking about though: these clauses don't just hurt the freelancer, they hurt the local economy. When a designer can't take work in her own neighborhood, that means small businesses there lose access to affordable local talent. They either overpay for someone from out of town or get stuck with mediocre work. The ripple effect is real, and it's way bigger than one person's story.