What benefits are there in signing a non-compete after resigning, with no formal contract of employment?

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I'm currently leaving a company but they want me to sign a non-compete before leaving.



I don't have any formal contract with the company nor anywhere did I sign that I would commit myself to it.



Is there any benefit for me in doing so? Why would I want to do this?










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  • 65




    Are they offering you something to sign the non-compete?
    – user1666620
    yesterday







  • 7




    No, they are not offering anything in return
    – Alima Secdi
    yesterday






  • 113




    If they don't offer anything in return, there's no point in signing it, is there?
    – Mast
    yesterday






  • 11




    Depending on your legal jurisdiction, signing a non-compete without anything in return would be null and void, given that there is no consideration. Additionally, a non-compete normally requires that you be paid in full for the duration of your non-compete (a man has got to eat).
    – Aron
    yesterday






  • 17




    Wait, when you say you "don't have a formal contract" do you mean you never had a written contract while you were working there? If that's the case, why start now?
    – Steve-O
    20 hours ago
















up vote
44
down vote

favorite
1












I'm currently leaving a company but they want me to sign a non-compete before leaving.



I don't have any formal contract with the company nor anywhere did I sign that I would commit myself to it.



Is there any benefit for me in doing so? Why would I want to do this?










share|improve this question









New contributor




Alima Secdi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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  • 65




    Are they offering you something to sign the non-compete?
    – user1666620
    yesterday







  • 7




    No, they are not offering anything in return
    – Alima Secdi
    yesterday






  • 113




    If they don't offer anything in return, there's no point in signing it, is there?
    – Mast
    yesterday






  • 11




    Depending on your legal jurisdiction, signing a non-compete without anything in return would be null and void, given that there is no consideration. Additionally, a non-compete normally requires that you be paid in full for the duration of your non-compete (a man has got to eat).
    – Aron
    yesterday






  • 17




    Wait, when you say you "don't have a formal contract" do you mean you never had a written contract while you were working there? If that's the case, why start now?
    – Steve-O
    20 hours ago












up vote
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I'm currently leaving a company but they want me to sign a non-compete before leaving.



I don't have any formal contract with the company nor anywhere did I sign that I would commit myself to it.



Is there any benefit for me in doing so? Why would I want to do this?










share|improve this question









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Alima Secdi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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I'm currently leaving a company but they want me to sign a non-compete before leaving.



I don't have any formal contract with the company nor anywhere did I sign that I would commit myself to it.



Is there any benefit for me in doing so? Why would I want to do this?







resignation contracts






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  • 65




    Are they offering you something to sign the non-compete?
    – user1666620
    yesterday







  • 7




    No, they are not offering anything in return
    – Alima Secdi
    yesterday






  • 113




    If they don't offer anything in return, there's no point in signing it, is there?
    – Mast
    yesterday






  • 11




    Depending on your legal jurisdiction, signing a non-compete without anything in return would be null and void, given that there is no consideration. Additionally, a non-compete normally requires that you be paid in full for the duration of your non-compete (a man has got to eat).
    – Aron
    yesterday






  • 17




    Wait, when you say you "don't have a formal contract" do you mean you never had a written contract while you were working there? If that's the case, why start now?
    – Steve-O
    20 hours ago












  • 65




    Are they offering you something to sign the non-compete?
    – user1666620
    yesterday







  • 7




    No, they are not offering anything in return
    – Alima Secdi
    yesterday






  • 113




    If they don't offer anything in return, there's no point in signing it, is there?
    – Mast
    yesterday






  • 11




    Depending on your legal jurisdiction, signing a non-compete without anything in return would be null and void, given that there is no consideration. Additionally, a non-compete normally requires that you be paid in full for the duration of your non-compete (a man has got to eat).
    – Aron
    yesterday






  • 17




    Wait, when you say you "don't have a formal contract" do you mean you never had a written contract while you were working there? If that's the case, why start now?
    – Steve-O
    20 hours ago







65




65




Are they offering you something to sign the non-compete?
– user1666620
yesterday





Are they offering you something to sign the non-compete?
– user1666620
yesterday





7




7




No, they are not offering anything in return
– Alima Secdi
yesterday




No, they are not offering anything in return
– Alima Secdi
yesterday




113




113




If they don't offer anything in return, there's no point in signing it, is there?
– Mast
yesterday




If they don't offer anything in return, there's no point in signing it, is there?
– Mast
yesterday




11




11




Depending on your legal jurisdiction, signing a non-compete without anything in return would be null and void, given that there is no consideration. Additionally, a non-compete normally requires that you be paid in full for the duration of your non-compete (a man has got to eat).
– Aron
yesterday




Depending on your legal jurisdiction, signing a non-compete without anything in return would be null and void, given that there is no consideration. Additionally, a non-compete normally requires that you be paid in full for the duration of your non-compete (a man has got to eat).
– Aron
yesterday




17




17




Wait, when you say you "don't have a formal contract" do you mean you never had a written contract while you were working there? If that's the case, why start now?
– Steve-O
20 hours ago




Wait, when you say you "don't have a formal contract" do you mean you never had a written contract while you were working there? If that's the case, why start now?
– Steve-O
20 hours ago










8 Answers
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129
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No. You gain nothing by signing and potentially limit your employment options by agreeing to the non-compete. By rights, if they were acting legitimately they would have had you sign one as part of your initial employment conditions before you even started the job. This is retrospective CYA nonsense and you should treat it as such.



If they really want you to sign, ask for a bonus in return for potentially limiting your employability. Otherwise just walk away






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  • 28




    Drop the last paragraph. They don't want you to sign sufficiently much to pay you what it's worth, which is at least your full prior salary times the length of effect of the non-compete.
    – R..
    yesterday






  • 10




    @R.. - I don't understand why you said "drop the last paragraph", when what you're suggesting is exactly what that paragraph says -- if they want you to sign, then ask them to pay you fair market value for what you're signing. Depending on how restrictive the agreement is, full salary may be more than the actual value of what they are asking for.
    – Johnny
    21 hours ago






  • 39




    For anyone else wondering: CYA = cover your ass (?)
    – problemofficer
    20 hours ago







  • 17




    @Johnny: Further detail could make the last paragraph better rather than dropping it, but just saying "ask for a bonus" does nothing to draw attention to how astronomically huge the bonus needs to be in order for it to be deterministically better for OP rather than a gamble.
    – R..
    19 hours ago






  • 21




    @R.. It depends how broad a non-compete they want. If they just want you not to work for their direct competitors, they have few competitors, you didn't want to do that anyway, and it's just for a year, even just two month's salary might make it a good deal. They may just want you not to work on a particular product area (enterprise storage systems, self-driving cars, whatever) and that might not even be one you're interested in working on anymore. We don't know. The point is, the OP has to get fair value.
    – David Schwartz
    17 hours ago


















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39
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The non-compete agreement you're being asked to sign is a contract. In many countries, forming an enforceable contract requires all five of the following:



  • A lawful purpose, in which the things the contract requires of the parties don't break any laws. This would include any restrictions on whether or not the kind of contract you're being asked to sign is valid where it was executed.

  • An offer, where one party makes a proposal to the other.


  • Consideration, where each party gives the other something in exchange for that they're getting.


  • Capacity, where both parties have ability to understand what's in the contract and are legally allowed to be party to it.


  • Acceptance, where both parties decide that the consideration they're getting for what they're giving is equitable and agree to what's in the contract, often by signing it.

The contract your company proposes has lots of consideration for them (they get the benefits of not having a former employee at a competitor) and none for you. Because they are offering you nothing in return for staying out of their industry, you have no incentive to accept what they propose. The time to have done that would have been when they were offering you a job in the first place.



The easiest route would be to reject their offer outright. You've resigned, so all they can really do at work is terminate your employment early. The worst they could do after you leave is file a malicious suit for misappropriating their trade secrets. Even if they don't win, you still lose because defending yourself will cost money and time, but they still run the risk of an expensive countersuit.



Negotiating fair consideration would require that you figure out what you would lose by abiding by their terms. If signing would force you to take a position in another field that doesn't pay as well, you should demand the difference or, if you can't work at all because of it, the full value of your salary and benefits. If the company was dumb enough to try this as you were leaving, I'd penalize them at least 25% additional to make sure they really want you out of circulation, but that's just how I do business. Whatever goes into the agreement, the consideration has to last the full duration of the time you're out of circulation and should either be paid up front or, if they stop paying you, the contract becomes void. (All of this takes time and money to arrange and is why it's easier to simply decline their offer.)






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  • 1




    This is a good answer. It could be improved by mentioning that various jurisdictions have restrictions on what is enforceable in a non-compete contract and that it would be beneficial for the OP to do a bit of research to determine what is enforceable in their jurisdiction. That assumes that the OP desires to enter into negotiation, rather than just outright rejecting a non-compete contract at all. The OP should note that they loose very little by beginning such a negotiation. While it's unlikely, it's possible the OP could get more than they expect.
    – Makyen
    17 hours ago






  • 1




    I would add to @Makyen's comment that up to my knowledge all NCAs must have a limited time span and cannot/should-not be lifetime, i.e. banning the OP entirely from working in that sector for his entire mortal life. My jurisdiction is Europe, OP's is not specified
    – usr-local-ΕΨΗΕΛΩΝ
    10 hours ago






  • 1




    The lawyer in me likes this answer, but I would caveat it by saying the exception is where signing wouldn't cost you anything and there's a chance you might want to return to the company in the future. In that case, doing something that doesn't harm you (and is probably not legally enforceable in any case) but buys you some goodwill with the company might not be such a bad idea. If you have no immediate plans to return though, then don't impose this limit on yourself, even if you don't think it will affect you (nobody knows the future).
    – delinear
    2 hours ago










  • +1 for the elements of a contract, but can you provide a source for that?
    – Aaron Hall
    2 hours ago

















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38
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There is no reason for you to sign this. You cannot benefit in any way from signing, but you might lose big time if you sign. As a consequence, do NOT sign anything under any circumstances.






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  • 8




    I wouldn't say "under any circumstances". The company could offer an appropriate amount of money which compensates the OP for signing the non-compete contract. It is, however, very unlikely that the company is interested in providing a level of compensation that is reasonable wrt. the value that the OP is giving up. The OP should also become aware of what is legally permitted/enforceable wrt. non-compete contracts in their jurisdiction.
    – Makyen
    17 hours ago

















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General rule of thumb when you have resigned is to ignore anything that does not palpably benefit you. This would include anything like signing documents.



So unless it includes a mention of recompense then don't enter into any dialogue at all. If you haven't left yet and you're forced to answer you just put it off. If you have left you just ignore it.






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    TL;DR



    You're under no obligation to do so. There are reasons you might want to, and reasons you might not. But they should have handled this a lot earlier, trying to do it now is a bit unprofessional of them. Don't sign anything that isn't significantly time-limited (the longest I've ever seen was five years, which I negotiated down to two; six months is more common in my experience, YMMV). In any case, be polite, and also firm.



    Reasons not to sign it



    • It limits your employment options: If you get an employment offer from a direct competitor of theirs, you can't take it. Only you know whether that's a significant limitation or an insignificant one. (I've left jobs where it would have been significant, and also ones where it would have been insignificant.)


    • Hassle: If you take a job with a company you thought wasn't a direct competitor of theirs, but they think it is, they may hassle you about it. ("hassle" could be anything from repeated contacts making you uncomfortable to suing you.)


    Reasons to sign it



    • Remaining on good terms: If you've left on good terms, refusing to do this now may harm that.


    • Compensation: They're asking you to do something that may limit your choices; it's perfectly reasonable to ask for compensation for that, though it's hard to imagine getting enough to make it worthwhile, and naturally you'll want to avoid giving them the impression you're blackmailing them. (Negotiating compensation for something like this is not blackmail, but that doesn't affect their perception of it.)


    Other Notes



    • These things are usually time-limited. If you decide to do it, make sure it's time-limited in a way you're comfortable with.



    • If you decide not to do it, I'd make a point of doing so very politely. Along the lines of:




      I understand why you'd want that, but I'm afraid I don't think I can. Although I have no specific plans to work for a competitor of yours, and I certainly have no intention of doing anything unprofessional, I need to keep my options open.




      (Obviously, if you've resigned to go work for a competitor, you have to remove the first bit of that.)







    share|improve this answer





























      up vote
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      While my first instinct agrees with the other question, i.e. "why would you do that?" there is also another way to approach the question:



      A contract (and this is a contract) is an agreement between two parties where both parties believe to have an advantage from signing over not signing.



      So flat out ask them what they offer you for signing. Such agreements are typically signed at the beginning of an employment relationship, where your advantage is that you get the job and in jobs where the company wants you more than you want them it is usually part of the compensation, or in simple terms, they pay you for it.



      Make a simple calculation what the non-compete could cost you in terms of opportunities you must forfeit. If they offer a compensation higher than this, the deal is advantageous for you and you could (but don't have to) sign it. If they offer lower, state factually that their offer is not high enough and refuse.



      This shifts the discussion from "stubborn" to "greedy", but greedy is a trait that businesses can deal with. Or in other words: They can solve the problem simply by offering you enough money. And if they don't offer enough, it is not you being stubborn, it is them being cheap.



      Approaching the question from this angle allows you to turn the tables on them. Now there's an offer from you on the table and they can take it or refuse it.






      share|improve this answer



























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        I recommend negotiating with them.



        You may want to negotiate and sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) instead. The NDA, says that you won't disclose any of their Proprietary Technology or Intellectual Property to other entities. This protects your previous employer and allows you to work for anybody else, including their competitors.



        Hey, it's their issue if they are losing a good team member to the competition. It's also reasonable that you don't disclose their Intellectual Property to their competition.






        share|improve this answer
















        • 9




          The company has nothing OP wants, so there is no basis for negotiation. They have no leverage. Reject their request.
          – R..
          yesterday






        • 3




          That's a very bold claim, since presumably the company has money, unless you want to suggest Alina doesn't want to be paid at all for anything they do. @R..
          – Nij
          18 hours ago






        • 1




          @Nij: Negotiating compensation for a retroactive NDA, rather than for a non-compete, comes awfully close to blackmail. I would not want anything to do with that. I did not read "negotiating" in this answer as asking for compensation, but rather as offering the NDA as a substitute for the non-compete they're asking for, when they're not entitled to either and OP has no reason to give them either.
          – R..
          17 hours ago







        • 1




          Blackmail would be saying they will release information unless paid. There is clearly no active intent to do so by Alima. Setting a price for the guarantee that they will not (accidentally or otherwise) release secure or privy information later is not at all the same. Negotiation of a contract normally involves any potential compensation - that's what consideration is - and would be required for a legitimate contract to exist, whatever form it happens to take.
          – Nij
          16 hours ago






        • 1




          @Nij - OP is already done working for them. They don't get to decide to not compensate him/her for work already done. So what money do they have to use as leverage for someone who has already completed all of their work?
          – PoloHoleSet
          2 hours ago


















        up vote
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        In general, when leaving a job, you should not sign willingly and blindy whatever they ask you to sign. Always check documents first, and with time to think it over and talk with a laywer. Ask for a copy beforehand.



        Also as for NDAs and non-compete agreements, they are often signed by high-key and very well payed employees at the beginning of contract - think management, very high skilled employees or consultants paid their net weight in gold.



        Also, usually a non-compete after leaving should be VERY well compensated.



        From the tone of your question, I suppose you are in not any of those cases. I known low-key people that accepted non-compete clauses with a nominal compensation (300-500 Euros) at the beginning of the contract, because they were not experienced and thought it was "normal" - and also because they wanted the job, so beware of what you are doing - there are a lot of non-reputable firms pulling those stunts out there.



        Lastly, as other say, it is quite odd you even consider their requests not when starting a job, but when ending. I would tell them to get lost in no uncertain terms.



        So to sum it up, unless they are offering you 2 or 3 times your net salary after taxes for the whole duration of the non-compete agreement, there is no sense into even contemplating the idea, and even then.



        PS. Such token payment I mentioned earlier is just to strenghten their case in court if the employee tries to invalidate it.






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        • @DavidRicherby Indeed, edited the answer.
          – Rui F Ribeiro
          1 hour ago











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        8 Answers
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        8 Answers
        8






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        up vote
        129
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        No. You gain nothing by signing and potentially limit your employment options by agreeing to the non-compete. By rights, if they were acting legitimately they would have had you sign one as part of your initial employment conditions before you even started the job. This is retrospective CYA nonsense and you should treat it as such.



        If they really want you to sign, ask for a bonus in return for potentially limiting your employability. Otherwise just walk away






        share|improve this answer


















        • 28




          Drop the last paragraph. They don't want you to sign sufficiently much to pay you what it's worth, which is at least your full prior salary times the length of effect of the non-compete.
          – R..
          yesterday






        • 10




          @R.. - I don't understand why you said "drop the last paragraph", when what you're suggesting is exactly what that paragraph says -- if they want you to sign, then ask them to pay you fair market value for what you're signing. Depending on how restrictive the agreement is, full salary may be more than the actual value of what they are asking for.
          – Johnny
          21 hours ago






        • 39




          For anyone else wondering: CYA = cover your ass (?)
          – problemofficer
          20 hours ago







        • 17




          @Johnny: Further detail could make the last paragraph better rather than dropping it, but just saying "ask for a bonus" does nothing to draw attention to how astronomically huge the bonus needs to be in order for it to be deterministically better for OP rather than a gamble.
          – R..
          19 hours ago






        • 21




          @R.. It depends how broad a non-compete they want. If they just want you not to work for their direct competitors, they have few competitors, you didn't want to do that anyway, and it's just for a year, even just two month's salary might make it a good deal. They may just want you not to work on a particular product area (enterprise storage systems, self-driving cars, whatever) and that might not even be one you're interested in working on anymore. We don't know. The point is, the OP has to get fair value.
          – David Schwartz
          17 hours ago















        up vote
        129
        down vote













        No. You gain nothing by signing and potentially limit your employment options by agreeing to the non-compete. By rights, if they were acting legitimately they would have had you sign one as part of your initial employment conditions before you even started the job. This is retrospective CYA nonsense and you should treat it as such.



        If they really want you to sign, ask for a bonus in return for potentially limiting your employability. Otherwise just walk away






        share|improve this answer


















        • 28




          Drop the last paragraph. They don't want you to sign sufficiently much to pay you what it's worth, which is at least your full prior salary times the length of effect of the non-compete.
          – R..
          yesterday






        • 10




          @R.. - I don't understand why you said "drop the last paragraph", when what you're suggesting is exactly what that paragraph says -- if they want you to sign, then ask them to pay you fair market value for what you're signing. Depending on how restrictive the agreement is, full salary may be more than the actual value of what they are asking for.
          – Johnny
          21 hours ago






        • 39




          For anyone else wondering: CYA = cover your ass (?)
          – problemofficer
          20 hours ago







        • 17




          @Johnny: Further detail could make the last paragraph better rather than dropping it, but just saying "ask for a bonus" does nothing to draw attention to how astronomically huge the bonus needs to be in order for it to be deterministically better for OP rather than a gamble.
          – R..
          19 hours ago






        • 21




          @R.. It depends how broad a non-compete they want. If they just want you not to work for their direct competitors, they have few competitors, you didn't want to do that anyway, and it's just for a year, even just two month's salary might make it a good deal. They may just want you not to work on a particular product area (enterprise storage systems, self-driving cars, whatever) and that might not even be one you're interested in working on anymore. We don't know. The point is, the OP has to get fair value.
          – David Schwartz
          17 hours ago













        up vote
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        up vote
        129
        down vote









        No. You gain nothing by signing and potentially limit your employment options by agreeing to the non-compete. By rights, if they were acting legitimately they would have had you sign one as part of your initial employment conditions before you even started the job. This is retrospective CYA nonsense and you should treat it as such.



        If they really want you to sign, ask for a bonus in return for potentially limiting your employability. Otherwise just walk away






        share|improve this answer














        No. You gain nothing by signing and potentially limit your employment options by agreeing to the non-compete. By rights, if they were acting legitimately they would have had you sign one as part of your initial employment conditions before you even started the job. This is retrospective CYA nonsense and you should treat it as such.



        If they really want you to sign, ask for a bonus in return for potentially limiting your employability. Otherwise just walk away







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited 18 hours ago









        smci

        2,039820




        2,039820










        answered yesterday









        user1666620

        7,85373029




        7,85373029







        • 28




          Drop the last paragraph. They don't want you to sign sufficiently much to pay you what it's worth, which is at least your full prior salary times the length of effect of the non-compete.
          – R..
          yesterday






        • 10




          @R.. - I don't understand why you said "drop the last paragraph", when what you're suggesting is exactly what that paragraph says -- if they want you to sign, then ask them to pay you fair market value for what you're signing. Depending on how restrictive the agreement is, full salary may be more than the actual value of what they are asking for.
          – Johnny
          21 hours ago






        • 39




          For anyone else wondering: CYA = cover your ass (?)
          – problemofficer
          20 hours ago







        • 17




          @Johnny: Further detail could make the last paragraph better rather than dropping it, but just saying "ask for a bonus" does nothing to draw attention to how astronomically huge the bonus needs to be in order for it to be deterministically better for OP rather than a gamble.
          – R..
          19 hours ago






        • 21




          @R.. It depends how broad a non-compete they want. If they just want you not to work for their direct competitors, they have few competitors, you didn't want to do that anyway, and it's just for a year, even just two month's salary might make it a good deal. They may just want you not to work on a particular product area (enterprise storage systems, self-driving cars, whatever) and that might not even be one you're interested in working on anymore. We don't know. The point is, the OP has to get fair value.
          – David Schwartz
          17 hours ago













        • 28




          Drop the last paragraph. They don't want you to sign sufficiently much to pay you what it's worth, which is at least your full prior salary times the length of effect of the non-compete.
          – R..
          yesterday






        • 10




          @R.. - I don't understand why you said "drop the last paragraph", when what you're suggesting is exactly what that paragraph says -- if they want you to sign, then ask them to pay you fair market value for what you're signing. Depending on how restrictive the agreement is, full salary may be more than the actual value of what they are asking for.
          – Johnny
          21 hours ago






        • 39




          For anyone else wondering: CYA = cover your ass (?)
          – problemofficer
          20 hours ago







        • 17




          @Johnny: Further detail could make the last paragraph better rather than dropping it, but just saying "ask for a bonus" does nothing to draw attention to how astronomically huge the bonus needs to be in order for it to be deterministically better for OP rather than a gamble.
          – R..
          19 hours ago






        • 21




          @R.. It depends how broad a non-compete they want. If they just want you not to work for their direct competitors, they have few competitors, you didn't want to do that anyway, and it's just for a year, even just two month's salary might make it a good deal. They may just want you not to work on a particular product area (enterprise storage systems, self-driving cars, whatever) and that might not even be one you're interested in working on anymore. We don't know. The point is, the OP has to get fair value.
          – David Schwartz
          17 hours ago








        28




        28




        Drop the last paragraph. They don't want you to sign sufficiently much to pay you what it's worth, which is at least your full prior salary times the length of effect of the non-compete.
        – R..
        yesterday




        Drop the last paragraph. They don't want you to sign sufficiently much to pay you what it's worth, which is at least your full prior salary times the length of effect of the non-compete.
        – R..
        yesterday




        10




        10




        @R.. - I don't understand why you said "drop the last paragraph", when what you're suggesting is exactly what that paragraph says -- if they want you to sign, then ask them to pay you fair market value for what you're signing. Depending on how restrictive the agreement is, full salary may be more than the actual value of what they are asking for.
        – Johnny
        21 hours ago




        @R.. - I don't understand why you said "drop the last paragraph", when what you're suggesting is exactly what that paragraph says -- if they want you to sign, then ask them to pay you fair market value for what you're signing. Depending on how restrictive the agreement is, full salary may be more than the actual value of what they are asking for.
        – Johnny
        21 hours ago




        39




        39




        For anyone else wondering: CYA = cover your ass (?)
        – problemofficer
        20 hours ago





        For anyone else wondering: CYA = cover your ass (?)
        – problemofficer
        20 hours ago





        17




        17




        @Johnny: Further detail could make the last paragraph better rather than dropping it, but just saying "ask for a bonus" does nothing to draw attention to how astronomically huge the bonus needs to be in order for it to be deterministically better for OP rather than a gamble.
        – R..
        19 hours ago




        @Johnny: Further detail could make the last paragraph better rather than dropping it, but just saying "ask for a bonus" does nothing to draw attention to how astronomically huge the bonus needs to be in order for it to be deterministically better for OP rather than a gamble.
        – R..
        19 hours ago




        21




        21




        @R.. It depends how broad a non-compete they want. If they just want you not to work for their direct competitors, they have few competitors, you didn't want to do that anyway, and it's just for a year, even just two month's salary might make it a good deal. They may just want you not to work on a particular product area (enterprise storage systems, self-driving cars, whatever) and that might not even be one you're interested in working on anymore. We don't know. The point is, the OP has to get fair value.
        – David Schwartz
        17 hours ago





        @R.. It depends how broad a non-compete they want. If they just want you not to work for their direct competitors, they have few competitors, you didn't want to do that anyway, and it's just for a year, even just two month's salary might make it a good deal. They may just want you not to work on a particular product area (enterprise storage systems, self-driving cars, whatever) and that might not even be one you're interested in working on anymore. We don't know. The point is, the OP has to get fair value.
        – David Schwartz
        17 hours ago













        up vote
        39
        down vote













        The non-compete agreement you're being asked to sign is a contract. In many countries, forming an enforceable contract requires all five of the following:



        • A lawful purpose, in which the things the contract requires of the parties don't break any laws. This would include any restrictions on whether or not the kind of contract you're being asked to sign is valid where it was executed.

        • An offer, where one party makes a proposal to the other.


        • Consideration, where each party gives the other something in exchange for that they're getting.


        • Capacity, where both parties have ability to understand what's in the contract and are legally allowed to be party to it.


        • Acceptance, where both parties decide that the consideration they're getting for what they're giving is equitable and agree to what's in the contract, often by signing it.

        The contract your company proposes has lots of consideration for them (they get the benefits of not having a former employee at a competitor) and none for you. Because they are offering you nothing in return for staying out of their industry, you have no incentive to accept what they propose. The time to have done that would have been when they were offering you a job in the first place.



        The easiest route would be to reject their offer outright. You've resigned, so all they can really do at work is terminate your employment early. The worst they could do after you leave is file a malicious suit for misappropriating their trade secrets. Even if they don't win, you still lose because defending yourself will cost money and time, but they still run the risk of an expensive countersuit.



        Negotiating fair consideration would require that you figure out what you would lose by abiding by their terms. If signing would force you to take a position in another field that doesn't pay as well, you should demand the difference or, if you can't work at all because of it, the full value of your salary and benefits. If the company was dumb enough to try this as you were leaving, I'd penalize them at least 25% additional to make sure they really want you out of circulation, but that's just how I do business. Whatever goes into the agreement, the consideration has to last the full duration of the time you're out of circulation and should either be paid up front or, if they stop paying you, the contract becomes void. (All of this takes time and money to arrange and is why it's easier to simply decline their offer.)






        share|improve this answer


















        • 1




          This is a good answer. It could be improved by mentioning that various jurisdictions have restrictions on what is enforceable in a non-compete contract and that it would be beneficial for the OP to do a bit of research to determine what is enforceable in their jurisdiction. That assumes that the OP desires to enter into negotiation, rather than just outright rejecting a non-compete contract at all. The OP should note that they loose very little by beginning such a negotiation. While it's unlikely, it's possible the OP could get more than they expect.
          – Makyen
          17 hours ago






        • 1




          I would add to @Makyen's comment that up to my knowledge all NCAs must have a limited time span and cannot/should-not be lifetime, i.e. banning the OP entirely from working in that sector for his entire mortal life. My jurisdiction is Europe, OP's is not specified
          – usr-local-ΕΨΗΕΛΩΝ
          10 hours ago






        • 1




          The lawyer in me likes this answer, but I would caveat it by saying the exception is where signing wouldn't cost you anything and there's a chance you might want to return to the company in the future. In that case, doing something that doesn't harm you (and is probably not legally enforceable in any case) but buys you some goodwill with the company might not be such a bad idea. If you have no immediate plans to return though, then don't impose this limit on yourself, even if you don't think it will affect you (nobody knows the future).
          – delinear
          2 hours ago










        • +1 for the elements of a contract, but can you provide a source for that?
          – Aaron Hall
          2 hours ago














        up vote
        39
        down vote













        The non-compete agreement you're being asked to sign is a contract. In many countries, forming an enforceable contract requires all five of the following:



        • A lawful purpose, in which the things the contract requires of the parties don't break any laws. This would include any restrictions on whether or not the kind of contract you're being asked to sign is valid where it was executed.

        • An offer, where one party makes a proposal to the other.


        • Consideration, where each party gives the other something in exchange for that they're getting.


        • Capacity, where both parties have ability to understand what's in the contract and are legally allowed to be party to it.


        • Acceptance, where both parties decide that the consideration they're getting for what they're giving is equitable and agree to what's in the contract, often by signing it.

        The contract your company proposes has lots of consideration for them (they get the benefits of not having a former employee at a competitor) and none for you. Because they are offering you nothing in return for staying out of their industry, you have no incentive to accept what they propose. The time to have done that would have been when they were offering you a job in the first place.



        The easiest route would be to reject their offer outright. You've resigned, so all they can really do at work is terminate your employment early. The worst they could do after you leave is file a malicious suit for misappropriating their trade secrets. Even if they don't win, you still lose because defending yourself will cost money and time, but they still run the risk of an expensive countersuit.



        Negotiating fair consideration would require that you figure out what you would lose by abiding by their terms. If signing would force you to take a position in another field that doesn't pay as well, you should demand the difference or, if you can't work at all because of it, the full value of your salary and benefits. If the company was dumb enough to try this as you were leaving, I'd penalize them at least 25% additional to make sure they really want you out of circulation, but that's just how I do business. Whatever goes into the agreement, the consideration has to last the full duration of the time you're out of circulation and should either be paid up front or, if they stop paying you, the contract becomes void. (All of this takes time and money to arrange and is why it's easier to simply decline their offer.)






        share|improve this answer


















        • 1




          This is a good answer. It could be improved by mentioning that various jurisdictions have restrictions on what is enforceable in a non-compete contract and that it would be beneficial for the OP to do a bit of research to determine what is enforceable in their jurisdiction. That assumes that the OP desires to enter into negotiation, rather than just outright rejecting a non-compete contract at all. The OP should note that they loose very little by beginning such a negotiation. While it's unlikely, it's possible the OP could get more than they expect.
          – Makyen
          17 hours ago






        • 1




          I would add to @Makyen's comment that up to my knowledge all NCAs must have a limited time span and cannot/should-not be lifetime, i.e. banning the OP entirely from working in that sector for his entire mortal life. My jurisdiction is Europe, OP's is not specified
          – usr-local-ΕΨΗΕΛΩΝ
          10 hours ago






        • 1




          The lawyer in me likes this answer, but I would caveat it by saying the exception is where signing wouldn't cost you anything and there's a chance you might want to return to the company in the future. In that case, doing something that doesn't harm you (and is probably not legally enforceable in any case) but buys you some goodwill with the company might not be such a bad idea. If you have no immediate plans to return though, then don't impose this limit on yourself, even if you don't think it will affect you (nobody knows the future).
          – delinear
          2 hours ago










        • +1 for the elements of a contract, but can you provide a source for that?
          – Aaron Hall
          2 hours ago












        up vote
        39
        down vote










        up vote
        39
        down vote









        The non-compete agreement you're being asked to sign is a contract. In many countries, forming an enforceable contract requires all five of the following:



        • A lawful purpose, in which the things the contract requires of the parties don't break any laws. This would include any restrictions on whether or not the kind of contract you're being asked to sign is valid where it was executed.

        • An offer, where one party makes a proposal to the other.


        • Consideration, where each party gives the other something in exchange for that they're getting.


        • Capacity, where both parties have ability to understand what's in the contract and are legally allowed to be party to it.


        • Acceptance, where both parties decide that the consideration they're getting for what they're giving is equitable and agree to what's in the contract, often by signing it.

        The contract your company proposes has lots of consideration for them (they get the benefits of not having a former employee at a competitor) and none for you. Because they are offering you nothing in return for staying out of their industry, you have no incentive to accept what they propose. The time to have done that would have been when they were offering you a job in the first place.



        The easiest route would be to reject their offer outright. You've resigned, so all they can really do at work is terminate your employment early. The worst they could do after you leave is file a malicious suit for misappropriating their trade secrets. Even if they don't win, you still lose because defending yourself will cost money and time, but they still run the risk of an expensive countersuit.



        Negotiating fair consideration would require that you figure out what you would lose by abiding by their terms. If signing would force you to take a position in another field that doesn't pay as well, you should demand the difference or, if you can't work at all because of it, the full value of your salary and benefits. If the company was dumb enough to try this as you were leaving, I'd penalize them at least 25% additional to make sure they really want you out of circulation, but that's just how I do business. Whatever goes into the agreement, the consideration has to last the full duration of the time you're out of circulation and should either be paid up front or, if they stop paying you, the contract becomes void. (All of this takes time and money to arrange and is why it's easier to simply decline their offer.)






        share|improve this answer














        The non-compete agreement you're being asked to sign is a contract. In many countries, forming an enforceable contract requires all five of the following:



        • A lawful purpose, in which the things the contract requires of the parties don't break any laws. This would include any restrictions on whether or not the kind of contract you're being asked to sign is valid where it was executed.

        • An offer, where one party makes a proposal to the other.


        • Consideration, where each party gives the other something in exchange for that they're getting.


        • Capacity, where both parties have ability to understand what's in the contract and are legally allowed to be party to it.


        • Acceptance, where both parties decide that the consideration they're getting for what they're giving is equitable and agree to what's in the contract, often by signing it.

        The contract your company proposes has lots of consideration for them (they get the benefits of not having a former employee at a competitor) and none for you. Because they are offering you nothing in return for staying out of their industry, you have no incentive to accept what they propose. The time to have done that would have been when they were offering you a job in the first place.



        The easiest route would be to reject their offer outright. You've resigned, so all they can really do at work is terminate your employment early. The worst they could do after you leave is file a malicious suit for misappropriating their trade secrets. Even if they don't win, you still lose because defending yourself will cost money and time, but they still run the risk of an expensive countersuit.



        Negotiating fair consideration would require that you figure out what you would lose by abiding by their terms. If signing would force you to take a position in another field that doesn't pay as well, you should demand the difference or, if you can't work at all because of it, the full value of your salary and benefits. If the company was dumb enough to try this as you were leaving, I'd penalize them at least 25% additional to make sure they really want you out of circulation, but that's just how I do business. Whatever goes into the agreement, the consideration has to last the full duration of the time you're out of circulation and should either be paid up front or, if they stop paying you, the contract becomes void. (All of this takes time and money to arrange and is why it's easier to simply decline their offer.)







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited 6 hours ago

























        answered yesterday









        Blrfl

        4,8951822




        4,8951822







        • 1




          This is a good answer. It could be improved by mentioning that various jurisdictions have restrictions on what is enforceable in a non-compete contract and that it would be beneficial for the OP to do a bit of research to determine what is enforceable in their jurisdiction. That assumes that the OP desires to enter into negotiation, rather than just outright rejecting a non-compete contract at all. The OP should note that they loose very little by beginning such a negotiation. While it's unlikely, it's possible the OP could get more than they expect.
          – Makyen
          17 hours ago






        • 1




          I would add to @Makyen's comment that up to my knowledge all NCAs must have a limited time span and cannot/should-not be lifetime, i.e. banning the OP entirely from working in that sector for his entire mortal life. My jurisdiction is Europe, OP's is not specified
          – usr-local-ΕΨΗΕΛΩΝ
          10 hours ago






        • 1




          The lawyer in me likes this answer, but I would caveat it by saying the exception is where signing wouldn't cost you anything and there's a chance you might want to return to the company in the future. In that case, doing something that doesn't harm you (and is probably not legally enforceable in any case) but buys you some goodwill with the company might not be such a bad idea. If you have no immediate plans to return though, then don't impose this limit on yourself, even if you don't think it will affect you (nobody knows the future).
          – delinear
          2 hours ago










        • +1 for the elements of a contract, but can you provide a source for that?
          – Aaron Hall
          2 hours ago












        • 1




          This is a good answer. It could be improved by mentioning that various jurisdictions have restrictions on what is enforceable in a non-compete contract and that it would be beneficial for the OP to do a bit of research to determine what is enforceable in their jurisdiction. That assumes that the OP desires to enter into negotiation, rather than just outright rejecting a non-compete contract at all. The OP should note that they loose very little by beginning such a negotiation. While it's unlikely, it's possible the OP could get more than they expect.
          – Makyen
          17 hours ago






        • 1




          I would add to @Makyen's comment that up to my knowledge all NCAs must have a limited time span and cannot/should-not be lifetime, i.e. banning the OP entirely from working in that sector for his entire mortal life. My jurisdiction is Europe, OP's is not specified
          – usr-local-ΕΨΗΕΛΩΝ
          10 hours ago






        • 1




          The lawyer in me likes this answer, but I would caveat it by saying the exception is where signing wouldn't cost you anything and there's a chance you might want to return to the company in the future. In that case, doing something that doesn't harm you (and is probably not legally enforceable in any case) but buys you some goodwill with the company might not be such a bad idea. If you have no immediate plans to return though, then don't impose this limit on yourself, even if you don't think it will affect you (nobody knows the future).
          – delinear
          2 hours ago










        • +1 for the elements of a contract, but can you provide a source for that?
          – Aaron Hall
          2 hours ago







        1




        1




        This is a good answer. It could be improved by mentioning that various jurisdictions have restrictions on what is enforceable in a non-compete contract and that it would be beneficial for the OP to do a bit of research to determine what is enforceable in their jurisdiction. That assumes that the OP desires to enter into negotiation, rather than just outright rejecting a non-compete contract at all. The OP should note that they loose very little by beginning such a negotiation. While it's unlikely, it's possible the OP could get more than they expect.
        – Makyen
        17 hours ago




        This is a good answer. It could be improved by mentioning that various jurisdictions have restrictions on what is enforceable in a non-compete contract and that it would be beneficial for the OP to do a bit of research to determine what is enforceable in their jurisdiction. That assumes that the OP desires to enter into negotiation, rather than just outright rejecting a non-compete contract at all. The OP should note that they loose very little by beginning such a negotiation. While it's unlikely, it's possible the OP could get more than they expect.
        – Makyen
        17 hours ago




        1




        1




        I would add to @Makyen's comment that up to my knowledge all NCAs must have a limited time span and cannot/should-not be lifetime, i.e. banning the OP entirely from working in that sector for his entire mortal life. My jurisdiction is Europe, OP's is not specified
        – usr-local-ΕΨΗΕΛΩΝ
        10 hours ago




        I would add to @Makyen's comment that up to my knowledge all NCAs must have a limited time span and cannot/should-not be lifetime, i.e. banning the OP entirely from working in that sector for his entire mortal life. My jurisdiction is Europe, OP's is not specified
        – usr-local-ΕΨΗΕΛΩΝ
        10 hours ago




        1




        1




        The lawyer in me likes this answer, but I would caveat it by saying the exception is where signing wouldn't cost you anything and there's a chance you might want to return to the company in the future. In that case, doing something that doesn't harm you (and is probably not legally enforceable in any case) but buys you some goodwill with the company might not be such a bad idea. If you have no immediate plans to return though, then don't impose this limit on yourself, even if you don't think it will affect you (nobody knows the future).
        – delinear
        2 hours ago




        The lawyer in me likes this answer, but I would caveat it by saying the exception is where signing wouldn't cost you anything and there's a chance you might want to return to the company in the future. In that case, doing something that doesn't harm you (and is probably not legally enforceable in any case) but buys you some goodwill with the company might not be such a bad idea. If you have no immediate plans to return though, then don't impose this limit on yourself, even if you don't think it will affect you (nobody knows the future).
        – delinear
        2 hours ago












        +1 for the elements of a contract, but can you provide a source for that?
        – Aaron Hall
        2 hours ago




        +1 for the elements of a contract, but can you provide a source for that?
        – Aaron Hall
        2 hours ago










        up vote
        38
        down vote













        There is no reason for you to sign this. You cannot benefit in any way from signing, but you might lose big time if you sign. As a consequence, do NOT sign anything under any circumstances.






        share|improve this answer
















        • 8




          I wouldn't say "under any circumstances". The company could offer an appropriate amount of money which compensates the OP for signing the non-compete contract. It is, however, very unlikely that the company is interested in providing a level of compensation that is reasonable wrt. the value that the OP is giving up. The OP should also become aware of what is legally permitted/enforceable wrt. non-compete contracts in their jurisdiction.
          – Makyen
          17 hours ago














        up vote
        38
        down vote













        There is no reason for you to sign this. You cannot benefit in any way from signing, but you might lose big time if you sign. As a consequence, do NOT sign anything under any circumstances.






        share|improve this answer
















        • 8




          I wouldn't say "under any circumstances". The company could offer an appropriate amount of money which compensates the OP for signing the non-compete contract. It is, however, very unlikely that the company is interested in providing a level of compensation that is reasonable wrt. the value that the OP is giving up. The OP should also become aware of what is legally permitted/enforceable wrt. non-compete contracts in their jurisdiction.
          – Makyen
          17 hours ago












        up vote
        38
        down vote










        up vote
        38
        down vote









        There is no reason for you to sign this. You cannot benefit in any way from signing, but you might lose big time if you sign. As a consequence, do NOT sign anything under any circumstances.






        share|improve this answer












        There is no reason for you to sign this. You cannot benefit in any way from signing, but you might lose big time if you sign. As a consequence, do NOT sign anything under any circumstances.







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered yesterday









        gnasher729

        77.3k32142246




        77.3k32142246







        • 8




          I wouldn't say "under any circumstances". The company could offer an appropriate amount of money which compensates the OP for signing the non-compete contract. It is, however, very unlikely that the company is interested in providing a level of compensation that is reasonable wrt. the value that the OP is giving up. The OP should also become aware of what is legally permitted/enforceable wrt. non-compete contracts in their jurisdiction.
          – Makyen
          17 hours ago












        • 8




          I wouldn't say "under any circumstances". The company could offer an appropriate amount of money which compensates the OP for signing the non-compete contract. It is, however, very unlikely that the company is interested in providing a level of compensation that is reasonable wrt. the value that the OP is giving up. The OP should also become aware of what is legally permitted/enforceable wrt. non-compete contracts in their jurisdiction.
          – Makyen
          17 hours ago







        8




        8




        I wouldn't say "under any circumstances". The company could offer an appropriate amount of money which compensates the OP for signing the non-compete contract. It is, however, very unlikely that the company is interested in providing a level of compensation that is reasonable wrt. the value that the OP is giving up. The OP should also become aware of what is legally permitted/enforceable wrt. non-compete contracts in their jurisdiction.
        – Makyen
        17 hours ago




        I wouldn't say "under any circumstances". The company could offer an appropriate amount of money which compensates the OP for signing the non-compete contract. It is, however, very unlikely that the company is interested in providing a level of compensation that is reasonable wrt. the value that the OP is giving up. The OP should also become aware of what is legally permitted/enforceable wrt. non-compete contracts in their jurisdiction.
        – Makyen
        17 hours ago










        up vote
        8
        down vote













        General rule of thumb when you have resigned is to ignore anything that does not palpably benefit you. This would include anything like signing documents.



        So unless it includes a mention of recompense then don't enter into any dialogue at all. If you haven't left yet and you're forced to answer you just put it off. If you have left you just ignore it.






        share|improve this answer
























          up vote
          8
          down vote













          General rule of thumb when you have resigned is to ignore anything that does not palpably benefit you. This would include anything like signing documents.



          So unless it includes a mention of recompense then don't enter into any dialogue at all. If you haven't left yet and you're forced to answer you just put it off. If you have left you just ignore it.






          share|improve this answer






















            up vote
            8
            down vote










            up vote
            8
            down vote









            General rule of thumb when you have resigned is to ignore anything that does not palpably benefit you. This would include anything like signing documents.



            So unless it includes a mention of recompense then don't enter into any dialogue at all. If you haven't left yet and you're forced to answer you just put it off. If you have left you just ignore it.






            share|improve this answer












            General rule of thumb when you have resigned is to ignore anything that does not palpably benefit you. This would include anything like signing documents.



            So unless it includes a mention of recompense then don't enter into any dialogue at all. If you haven't left yet and you're forced to answer you just put it off. If you have left you just ignore it.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered 15 hours ago









            Kilisi

            104k57234408




            104k57234408




















                up vote
                4
                down vote













                TL;DR



                You're under no obligation to do so. There are reasons you might want to, and reasons you might not. But they should have handled this a lot earlier, trying to do it now is a bit unprofessional of them. Don't sign anything that isn't significantly time-limited (the longest I've ever seen was five years, which I negotiated down to two; six months is more common in my experience, YMMV). In any case, be polite, and also firm.



                Reasons not to sign it



                • It limits your employment options: If you get an employment offer from a direct competitor of theirs, you can't take it. Only you know whether that's a significant limitation or an insignificant one. (I've left jobs where it would have been significant, and also ones where it would have been insignificant.)


                • Hassle: If you take a job with a company you thought wasn't a direct competitor of theirs, but they think it is, they may hassle you about it. ("hassle" could be anything from repeated contacts making you uncomfortable to suing you.)


                Reasons to sign it



                • Remaining on good terms: If you've left on good terms, refusing to do this now may harm that.


                • Compensation: They're asking you to do something that may limit your choices; it's perfectly reasonable to ask for compensation for that, though it's hard to imagine getting enough to make it worthwhile, and naturally you'll want to avoid giving them the impression you're blackmailing them. (Negotiating compensation for something like this is not blackmail, but that doesn't affect their perception of it.)


                Other Notes



                • These things are usually time-limited. If you decide to do it, make sure it's time-limited in a way you're comfortable with.



                • If you decide not to do it, I'd make a point of doing so very politely. Along the lines of:




                  I understand why you'd want that, but I'm afraid I don't think I can. Although I have no specific plans to work for a competitor of yours, and I certainly have no intention of doing anything unprofessional, I need to keep my options open.




                  (Obviously, if you've resigned to go work for a competitor, you have to remove the first bit of that.)







                share|improve this answer


























                  up vote
                  4
                  down vote













                  TL;DR



                  You're under no obligation to do so. There are reasons you might want to, and reasons you might not. But they should have handled this a lot earlier, trying to do it now is a bit unprofessional of them. Don't sign anything that isn't significantly time-limited (the longest I've ever seen was five years, which I negotiated down to two; six months is more common in my experience, YMMV). In any case, be polite, and also firm.



                  Reasons not to sign it



                  • It limits your employment options: If you get an employment offer from a direct competitor of theirs, you can't take it. Only you know whether that's a significant limitation or an insignificant one. (I've left jobs where it would have been significant, and also ones where it would have been insignificant.)


                  • Hassle: If you take a job with a company you thought wasn't a direct competitor of theirs, but they think it is, they may hassle you about it. ("hassle" could be anything from repeated contacts making you uncomfortable to suing you.)


                  Reasons to sign it



                  • Remaining on good terms: If you've left on good terms, refusing to do this now may harm that.


                  • Compensation: They're asking you to do something that may limit your choices; it's perfectly reasonable to ask for compensation for that, though it's hard to imagine getting enough to make it worthwhile, and naturally you'll want to avoid giving them the impression you're blackmailing them. (Negotiating compensation for something like this is not blackmail, but that doesn't affect their perception of it.)


                  Other Notes



                  • These things are usually time-limited. If you decide to do it, make sure it's time-limited in a way you're comfortable with.



                  • If you decide not to do it, I'd make a point of doing so very politely. Along the lines of:




                    I understand why you'd want that, but I'm afraid I don't think I can. Although I have no specific plans to work for a competitor of yours, and I certainly have no intention of doing anything unprofessional, I need to keep my options open.




                    (Obviously, if you've resigned to go work for a competitor, you have to remove the first bit of that.)







                  share|improve this answer
























                    up vote
                    4
                    down vote










                    up vote
                    4
                    down vote









                    TL;DR



                    You're under no obligation to do so. There are reasons you might want to, and reasons you might not. But they should have handled this a lot earlier, trying to do it now is a bit unprofessional of them. Don't sign anything that isn't significantly time-limited (the longest I've ever seen was five years, which I negotiated down to two; six months is more common in my experience, YMMV). In any case, be polite, and also firm.



                    Reasons not to sign it



                    • It limits your employment options: If you get an employment offer from a direct competitor of theirs, you can't take it. Only you know whether that's a significant limitation or an insignificant one. (I've left jobs where it would have been significant, and also ones where it would have been insignificant.)


                    • Hassle: If you take a job with a company you thought wasn't a direct competitor of theirs, but they think it is, they may hassle you about it. ("hassle" could be anything from repeated contacts making you uncomfortable to suing you.)


                    Reasons to sign it



                    • Remaining on good terms: If you've left on good terms, refusing to do this now may harm that.


                    • Compensation: They're asking you to do something that may limit your choices; it's perfectly reasonable to ask for compensation for that, though it's hard to imagine getting enough to make it worthwhile, and naturally you'll want to avoid giving them the impression you're blackmailing them. (Negotiating compensation for something like this is not blackmail, but that doesn't affect their perception of it.)


                    Other Notes



                    • These things are usually time-limited. If you decide to do it, make sure it's time-limited in a way you're comfortable with.



                    • If you decide not to do it, I'd make a point of doing so very politely. Along the lines of:




                      I understand why you'd want that, but I'm afraid I don't think I can. Although I have no specific plans to work for a competitor of yours, and I certainly have no intention of doing anything unprofessional, I need to keep my options open.




                      (Obviously, if you've resigned to go work for a competitor, you have to remove the first bit of that.)







                    share|improve this answer














                    TL;DR



                    You're under no obligation to do so. There are reasons you might want to, and reasons you might not. But they should have handled this a lot earlier, trying to do it now is a bit unprofessional of them. Don't sign anything that isn't significantly time-limited (the longest I've ever seen was five years, which I negotiated down to two; six months is more common in my experience, YMMV). In any case, be polite, and also firm.



                    Reasons not to sign it



                    • It limits your employment options: If you get an employment offer from a direct competitor of theirs, you can't take it. Only you know whether that's a significant limitation or an insignificant one. (I've left jobs where it would have been significant, and also ones where it would have been insignificant.)


                    • Hassle: If you take a job with a company you thought wasn't a direct competitor of theirs, but they think it is, they may hassle you about it. ("hassle" could be anything from repeated contacts making you uncomfortable to suing you.)


                    Reasons to sign it



                    • Remaining on good terms: If you've left on good terms, refusing to do this now may harm that.


                    • Compensation: They're asking you to do something that may limit your choices; it's perfectly reasonable to ask for compensation for that, though it's hard to imagine getting enough to make it worthwhile, and naturally you'll want to avoid giving them the impression you're blackmailing them. (Negotiating compensation for something like this is not blackmail, but that doesn't affect their perception of it.)


                    Other Notes



                    • These things are usually time-limited. If you decide to do it, make sure it's time-limited in a way you're comfortable with.



                    • If you decide not to do it, I'd make a point of doing so very politely. Along the lines of:




                      I understand why you'd want that, but I'm afraid I don't think I can. Although I have no specific plans to work for a competitor of yours, and I certainly have no intention of doing anything unprofessional, I need to keep my options open.




                      (Obviously, if you've resigned to go work for a competitor, you have to remove the first bit of that.)








                    share|improve this answer














                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer








                    edited 1 hour ago

























                    answered 10 hours ago









                    T.J. Crowder

                    1,202610




                    1,202610




















                        up vote
                        1
                        down vote













                        While my first instinct agrees with the other question, i.e. "why would you do that?" there is also another way to approach the question:



                        A contract (and this is a contract) is an agreement between two parties where both parties believe to have an advantage from signing over not signing.



                        So flat out ask them what they offer you for signing. Such agreements are typically signed at the beginning of an employment relationship, where your advantage is that you get the job and in jobs where the company wants you more than you want them it is usually part of the compensation, or in simple terms, they pay you for it.



                        Make a simple calculation what the non-compete could cost you in terms of opportunities you must forfeit. If they offer a compensation higher than this, the deal is advantageous for you and you could (but don't have to) sign it. If they offer lower, state factually that their offer is not high enough and refuse.



                        This shifts the discussion from "stubborn" to "greedy", but greedy is a trait that businesses can deal with. Or in other words: They can solve the problem simply by offering you enough money. And if they don't offer enough, it is not you being stubborn, it is them being cheap.



                        Approaching the question from this angle allows you to turn the tables on them. Now there's an offer from you on the table and they can take it or refuse it.






                        share|improve this answer
























                          up vote
                          1
                          down vote













                          While my first instinct agrees with the other question, i.e. "why would you do that?" there is also another way to approach the question:



                          A contract (and this is a contract) is an agreement between two parties where both parties believe to have an advantage from signing over not signing.



                          So flat out ask them what they offer you for signing. Such agreements are typically signed at the beginning of an employment relationship, where your advantage is that you get the job and in jobs where the company wants you more than you want them it is usually part of the compensation, or in simple terms, they pay you for it.



                          Make a simple calculation what the non-compete could cost you in terms of opportunities you must forfeit. If they offer a compensation higher than this, the deal is advantageous for you and you could (but don't have to) sign it. If they offer lower, state factually that their offer is not high enough and refuse.



                          This shifts the discussion from "stubborn" to "greedy", but greedy is a trait that businesses can deal with. Or in other words: They can solve the problem simply by offering you enough money. And if they don't offer enough, it is not you being stubborn, it is them being cheap.



                          Approaching the question from this angle allows you to turn the tables on them. Now there's an offer from you on the table and they can take it or refuse it.






                          share|improve this answer






















                            up vote
                            1
                            down vote










                            up vote
                            1
                            down vote









                            While my first instinct agrees with the other question, i.e. "why would you do that?" there is also another way to approach the question:



                            A contract (and this is a contract) is an agreement between two parties where both parties believe to have an advantage from signing over not signing.



                            So flat out ask them what they offer you for signing. Such agreements are typically signed at the beginning of an employment relationship, where your advantage is that you get the job and in jobs where the company wants you more than you want them it is usually part of the compensation, or in simple terms, they pay you for it.



                            Make a simple calculation what the non-compete could cost you in terms of opportunities you must forfeit. If they offer a compensation higher than this, the deal is advantageous for you and you could (but don't have to) sign it. If they offer lower, state factually that their offer is not high enough and refuse.



                            This shifts the discussion from "stubborn" to "greedy", but greedy is a trait that businesses can deal with. Or in other words: They can solve the problem simply by offering you enough money. And if they don't offer enough, it is not you being stubborn, it is them being cheap.



                            Approaching the question from this angle allows you to turn the tables on them. Now there's an offer from you on the table and they can take it or refuse it.






                            share|improve this answer












                            While my first instinct agrees with the other question, i.e. "why would you do that?" there is also another way to approach the question:



                            A contract (and this is a contract) is an agreement between two parties where both parties believe to have an advantage from signing over not signing.



                            So flat out ask them what they offer you for signing. Such agreements are typically signed at the beginning of an employment relationship, where your advantage is that you get the job and in jobs where the company wants you more than you want them it is usually part of the compensation, or in simple terms, they pay you for it.



                            Make a simple calculation what the non-compete could cost you in terms of opportunities you must forfeit. If they offer a compensation higher than this, the deal is advantageous for you and you could (but don't have to) sign it. If they offer lower, state factually that their offer is not high enough and refuse.



                            This shifts the discussion from "stubborn" to "greedy", but greedy is a trait that businesses can deal with. Or in other words: They can solve the problem simply by offering you enough money. And if they don't offer enough, it is not you being stubborn, it is them being cheap.



                            Approaching the question from this angle allows you to turn the tables on them. Now there's an offer from you on the table and they can take it or refuse it.







                            share|improve this answer












                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer










                            answered 10 hours ago









                            Tom

                            2,276514




                            2,276514




















                                up vote
                                0
                                down vote













                                I recommend negotiating with them.



                                You may want to negotiate and sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) instead. The NDA, says that you won't disclose any of their Proprietary Technology or Intellectual Property to other entities. This protects your previous employer and allows you to work for anybody else, including their competitors.



                                Hey, it's their issue if they are losing a good team member to the competition. It's also reasonable that you don't disclose their Intellectual Property to their competition.






                                share|improve this answer
















                                • 9




                                  The company has nothing OP wants, so there is no basis for negotiation. They have no leverage. Reject their request.
                                  – R..
                                  yesterday






                                • 3




                                  That's a very bold claim, since presumably the company has money, unless you want to suggest Alina doesn't want to be paid at all for anything they do. @R..
                                  – Nij
                                  18 hours ago






                                • 1




                                  @Nij: Negotiating compensation for a retroactive NDA, rather than for a non-compete, comes awfully close to blackmail. I would not want anything to do with that. I did not read "negotiating" in this answer as asking for compensation, but rather as offering the NDA as a substitute for the non-compete they're asking for, when they're not entitled to either and OP has no reason to give them either.
                                  – R..
                                  17 hours ago







                                • 1




                                  Blackmail would be saying they will release information unless paid. There is clearly no active intent to do so by Alima. Setting a price for the guarantee that they will not (accidentally or otherwise) release secure or privy information later is not at all the same. Negotiation of a contract normally involves any potential compensation - that's what consideration is - and would be required for a legitimate contract to exist, whatever form it happens to take.
                                  – Nij
                                  16 hours ago






                                • 1




                                  @Nij - OP is already done working for them. They don't get to decide to not compensate him/her for work already done. So what money do they have to use as leverage for someone who has already completed all of their work?
                                  – PoloHoleSet
                                  2 hours ago















                                up vote
                                0
                                down vote













                                I recommend negotiating with them.



                                You may want to negotiate and sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) instead. The NDA, says that you won't disclose any of their Proprietary Technology or Intellectual Property to other entities. This protects your previous employer and allows you to work for anybody else, including their competitors.



                                Hey, it's their issue if they are losing a good team member to the competition. It's also reasonable that you don't disclose their Intellectual Property to their competition.






                                share|improve this answer
















                                • 9




                                  The company has nothing OP wants, so there is no basis for negotiation. They have no leverage. Reject their request.
                                  – R..
                                  yesterday






                                • 3




                                  That's a very bold claim, since presumably the company has money, unless you want to suggest Alina doesn't want to be paid at all for anything they do. @R..
                                  – Nij
                                  18 hours ago






                                • 1




                                  @Nij: Negotiating compensation for a retroactive NDA, rather than for a non-compete, comes awfully close to blackmail. I would not want anything to do with that. I did not read "negotiating" in this answer as asking for compensation, but rather as offering the NDA as a substitute for the non-compete they're asking for, when they're not entitled to either and OP has no reason to give them either.
                                  – R..
                                  17 hours ago







                                • 1




                                  Blackmail would be saying they will release information unless paid. There is clearly no active intent to do so by Alima. Setting a price for the guarantee that they will not (accidentally or otherwise) release secure or privy information later is not at all the same. Negotiation of a contract normally involves any potential compensation - that's what consideration is - and would be required for a legitimate contract to exist, whatever form it happens to take.
                                  – Nij
                                  16 hours ago






                                • 1




                                  @Nij - OP is already done working for them. They don't get to decide to not compensate him/her for work already done. So what money do they have to use as leverage for someone who has already completed all of their work?
                                  – PoloHoleSet
                                  2 hours ago













                                up vote
                                0
                                down vote










                                up vote
                                0
                                down vote









                                I recommend negotiating with them.



                                You may want to negotiate and sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) instead. The NDA, says that you won't disclose any of their Proprietary Technology or Intellectual Property to other entities. This protects your previous employer and allows you to work for anybody else, including their competitors.



                                Hey, it's their issue if they are losing a good team member to the competition. It's also reasonable that you don't disclose their Intellectual Property to their competition.






                                share|improve this answer












                                I recommend negotiating with them.



                                You may want to negotiate and sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) instead. The NDA, says that you won't disclose any of their Proprietary Technology or Intellectual Property to other entities. This protects your previous employer and allows you to work for anybody else, including their competitors.



                                Hey, it's their issue if they are losing a good team member to the competition. It's also reasonable that you don't disclose their Intellectual Property to their competition.







                                share|improve this answer












                                share|improve this answer



                                share|improve this answer










                                answered yesterday









                                Thomas Matthews

                                26713




                                26713







                                • 9




                                  The company has nothing OP wants, so there is no basis for negotiation. They have no leverage. Reject their request.
                                  – R..
                                  yesterday






                                • 3




                                  That's a very bold claim, since presumably the company has money, unless you want to suggest Alina doesn't want to be paid at all for anything they do. @R..
                                  – Nij
                                  18 hours ago






                                • 1




                                  @Nij: Negotiating compensation for a retroactive NDA, rather than for a non-compete, comes awfully close to blackmail. I would not want anything to do with that. I did not read "negotiating" in this answer as asking for compensation, but rather as offering the NDA as a substitute for the non-compete they're asking for, when they're not entitled to either and OP has no reason to give them either.
                                  – R..
                                  17 hours ago







                                • 1




                                  Blackmail would be saying they will release information unless paid. There is clearly no active intent to do so by Alima. Setting a price for the guarantee that they will not (accidentally or otherwise) release secure or privy information later is not at all the same. Negotiation of a contract normally involves any potential compensation - that's what consideration is - and would be required for a legitimate contract to exist, whatever form it happens to take.
                                  – Nij
                                  16 hours ago






                                • 1




                                  @Nij - OP is already done working for them. They don't get to decide to not compensate him/her for work already done. So what money do they have to use as leverage for someone who has already completed all of their work?
                                  – PoloHoleSet
                                  2 hours ago













                                • 9




                                  The company has nothing OP wants, so there is no basis for negotiation. They have no leverage. Reject their request.
                                  – R..
                                  yesterday






                                • 3




                                  That's a very bold claim, since presumably the company has money, unless you want to suggest Alina doesn't want to be paid at all for anything they do. @R..
                                  – Nij
                                  18 hours ago






                                • 1




                                  @Nij: Negotiating compensation for a retroactive NDA, rather than for a non-compete, comes awfully close to blackmail. I would not want anything to do with that. I did not read "negotiating" in this answer as asking for compensation, but rather as offering the NDA as a substitute for the non-compete they're asking for, when they're not entitled to either and OP has no reason to give them either.
                                  – R..
                                  17 hours ago







                                • 1




                                  Blackmail would be saying they will release information unless paid. There is clearly no active intent to do so by Alima. Setting a price for the guarantee that they will not (accidentally or otherwise) release secure or privy information later is not at all the same. Negotiation of a contract normally involves any potential compensation - that's what consideration is - and would be required for a legitimate contract to exist, whatever form it happens to take.
                                  – Nij
                                  16 hours ago






                                • 1




                                  @Nij - OP is already done working for them. They don't get to decide to not compensate him/her for work already done. So what money do they have to use as leverage for someone who has already completed all of their work?
                                  – PoloHoleSet
                                  2 hours ago








                                9




                                9




                                The company has nothing OP wants, so there is no basis for negotiation. They have no leverage. Reject their request.
                                – R..
                                yesterday




                                The company has nothing OP wants, so there is no basis for negotiation. They have no leverage. Reject their request.
                                – R..
                                yesterday




                                3




                                3




                                That's a very bold claim, since presumably the company has money, unless you want to suggest Alina doesn't want to be paid at all for anything they do. @R..
                                – Nij
                                18 hours ago




                                That's a very bold claim, since presumably the company has money, unless you want to suggest Alina doesn't want to be paid at all for anything they do. @R..
                                – Nij
                                18 hours ago




                                1




                                1




                                @Nij: Negotiating compensation for a retroactive NDA, rather than for a non-compete, comes awfully close to blackmail. I would not want anything to do with that. I did not read "negotiating" in this answer as asking for compensation, but rather as offering the NDA as a substitute for the non-compete they're asking for, when they're not entitled to either and OP has no reason to give them either.
                                – R..
                                17 hours ago





                                @Nij: Negotiating compensation for a retroactive NDA, rather than for a non-compete, comes awfully close to blackmail. I would not want anything to do with that. I did not read "negotiating" in this answer as asking for compensation, but rather as offering the NDA as a substitute for the non-compete they're asking for, when they're not entitled to either and OP has no reason to give them either.
                                – R..
                                17 hours ago





                                1




                                1




                                Blackmail would be saying they will release information unless paid. There is clearly no active intent to do so by Alima. Setting a price for the guarantee that they will not (accidentally or otherwise) release secure or privy information later is not at all the same. Negotiation of a contract normally involves any potential compensation - that's what consideration is - and would be required for a legitimate contract to exist, whatever form it happens to take.
                                – Nij
                                16 hours ago




                                Blackmail would be saying they will release information unless paid. There is clearly no active intent to do so by Alima. Setting a price for the guarantee that they will not (accidentally or otherwise) release secure or privy information later is not at all the same. Negotiation of a contract normally involves any potential compensation - that's what consideration is - and would be required for a legitimate contract to exist, whatever form it happens to take.
                                – Nij
                                16 hours ago




                                1




                                1




                                @Nij - OP is already done working for them. They don't get to decide to not compensate him/her for work already done. So what money do they have to use as leverage for someone who has already completed all of their work?
                                – PoloHoleSet
                                2 hours ago





                                @Nij - OP is already done working for them. They don't get to decide to not compensate him/her for work already done. So what money do they have to use as leverage for someone who has already completed all of their work?
                                – PoloHoleSet
                                2 hours ago











                                up vote
                                0
                                down vote













                                In general, when leaving a job, you should not sign willingly and blindy whatever they ask you to sign. Always check documents first, and with time to think it over and talk with a laywer. Ask for a copy beforehand.



                                Also as for NDAs and non-compete agreements, they are often signed by high-key and very well payed employees at the beginning of contract - think management, very high skilled employees or consultants paid their net weight in gold.



                                Also, usually a non-compete after leaving should be VERY well compensated.



                                From the tone of your question, I suppose you are in not any of those cases. I known low-key people that accepted non-compete clauses with a nominal compensation (300-500 Euros) at the beginning of the contract, because they were not experienced and thought it was "normal" - and also because they wanted the job, so beware of what you are doing - there are a lot of non-reputable firms pulling those stunts out there.



                                Lastly, as other say, it is quite odd you even consider their requests not when starting a job, but when ending. I would tell them to get lost in no uncertain terms.



                                So to sum it up, unless they are offering you 2 or 3 times your net salary after taxes for the whole duration of the non-compete agreement, there is no sense into even contemplating the idea, and even then.



                                PS. Such token payment I mentioned earlier is just to strenghten their case in court if the employee tries to invalidate it.






                                share|improve this answer






















                                • @DavidRicherby Indeed, edited the answer.
                                  – Rui F Ribeiro
                                  1 hour ago















                                up vote
                                0
                                down vote













                                In general, when leaving a job, you should not sign willingly and blindy whatever they ask you to sign. Always check documents first, and with time to think it over and talk with a laywer. Ask for a copy beforehand.



                                Also as for NDAs and non-compete agreements, they are often signed by high-key and very well payed employees at the beginning of contract - think management, very high skilled employees or consultants paid their net weight in gold.



                                Also, usually a non-compete after leaving should be VERY well compensated.



                                From the tone of your question, I suppose you are in not any of those cases. I known low-key people that accepted non-compete clauses with a nominal compensation (300-500 Euros) at the beginning of the contract, because they were not experienced and thought it was "normal" - and also because they wanted the job, so beware of what you are doing - there are a lot of non-reputable firms pulling those stunts out there.



                                Lastly, as other say, it is quite odd you even consider their requests not when starting a job, but when ending. I would tell them to get lost in no uncertain terms.



                                So to sum it up, unless they are offering you 2 or 3 times your net salary after taxes for the whole duration of the non-compete agreement, there is no sense into even contemplating the idea, and even then.



                                PS. Such token payment I mentioned earlier is just to strenghten their case in court if the employee tries to invalidate it.






                                share|improve this answer






















                                • @DavidRicherby Indeed, edited the answer.
                                  – Rui F Ribeiro
                                  1 hour ago













                                up vote
                                0
                                down vote










                                up vote
                                0
                                down vote









                                In general, when leaving a job, you should not sign willingly and blindy whatever they ask you to sign. Always check documents first, and with time to think it over and talk with a laywer. Ask for a copy beforehand.



                                Also as for NDAs and non-compete agreements, they are often signed by high-key and very well payed employees at the beginning of contract - think management, very high skilled employees or consultants paid their net weight in gold.



                                Also, usually a non-compete after leaving should be VERY well compensated.



                                From the tone of your question, I suppose you are in not any of those cases. I known low-key people that accepted non-compete clauses with a nominal compensation (300-500 Euros) at the beginning of the contract, because they were not experienced and thought it was "normal" - and also because they wanted the job, so beware of what you are doing - there are a lot of non-reputable firms pulling those stunts out there.



                                Lastly, as other say, it is quite odd you even consider their requests not when starting a job, but when ending. I would tell them to get lost in no uncertain terms.



                                So to sum it up, unless they are offering you 2 or 3 times your net salary after taxes for the whole duration of the non-compete agreement, there is no sense into even contemplating the idea, and even then.



                                PS. Such token payment I mentioned earlier is just to strenghten their case in court if the employee tries to invalidate it.






                                share|improve this answer














                                In general, when leaving a job, you should not sign willingly and blindy whatever they ask you to sign. Always check documents first, and with time to think it over and talk with a laywer. Ask for a copy beforehand.



                                Also as for NDAs and non-compete agreements, they are often signed by high-key and very well payed employees at the beginning of contract - think management, very high skilled employees or consultants paid their net weight in gold.



                                Also, usually a non-compete after leaving should be VERY well compensated.



                                From the tone of your question, I suppose you are in not any of those cases. I known low-key people that accepted non-compete clauses with a nominal compensation (300-500 Euros) at the beginning of the contract, because they were not experienced and thought it was "normal" - and also because they wanted the job, so beware of what you are doing - there are a lot of non-reputable firms pulling those stunts out there.



                                Lastly, as other say, it is quite odd you even consider their requests not when starting a job, but when ending. I would tell them to get lost in no uncertain terms.



                                So to sum it up, unless they are offering you 2 or 3 times your net salary after taxes for the whole duration of the non-compete agreement, there is no sense into even contemplating the idea, and even then.



                                PS. Such token payment I mentioned earlier is just to strenghten their case in court if the employee tries to invalidate it.







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                                edited 1 hour ago

























                                answered 5 hours ago









                                Rui F Ribeiro

                                3,5531021




                                3,5531021











                                • @DavidRicherby Indeed, edited the answer.
                                  – Rui F Ribeiro
                                  1 hour ago

















                                • @DavidRicherby Indeed, edited the answer.
                                  – Rui F Ribeiro
                                  1 hour ago
















                                @DavidRicherby Indeed, edited the answer.
                                – Rui F Ribeiro
                                1 hour ago





                                @DavidRicherby Indeed, edited the answer.
                                – Rui F Ribeiro
                                1 hour ago











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