[brightball]

IMO the primary concern at an office like that is having access to patient data and then enticing them to go elsewhere. If the person wants to go work elsewhere, totally fine. The concern is trying to take customers or other staff with them.

I know somebody that happened to. Company opened a branch office and one of the senior staff rented an office around the corner, took half the staff and patients. Stuck them with multi year lease agreements, after the business already bore the entire startup cost of paying people while building up a patient load, marketing, etc.

I understand the opposition to draconian non-competes but there’s a flip side of this to protect an investment that is very valid.

[ssharp]

There are usually non-solicitation clauses as well that prevent you from actively recruiting former co-workers and clients/customers. That's different than a non-compete.

[arrosenberg]

Which should also be unenforceable. Freedom of association is in the Constitution.

[Retric]

Protecting trade secrets and customer/client lists etc don’t require non competes.

What they are generally used for is to limit competition or depress wages both of which are economically harmful.