On January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced its proposed rule to eliminate non-compete agreements on the basis that they unduly suppress employee wages and stifle innovation and business dynamism. Whether this is a good idea or not depends upon whether you use non-competes to protect your business or whether the existence of non-competes stands in the way of you hiring quality employees. For most businesses, the proposed regulation will be a mixed bag as they want to protect their existing workforce and confidential information while at the same time have the freedom to hire desperately needed talent who are locked up by non-compete agreements. READ MORE