On: White House urges ban on non-compete agreements fo...

[JumpCrisscross]

Non-competes are enforceable in all fifty states except California, Oklahoma and North Dakota [1].

"Right to work" means you have the right to work without being required to join a union, i.e. it bans union shops where one must pay union dues or lose their job [2]. It is a response by 26 states to federal collective-bargaining laws.

[1] http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/understanding-noncomp...

[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-work_law

[brightball → JumpCrisscross]

Interesting. I'd always heard it was due to right to work, but after researching it a little bit more it's just how non-competes are handled in my state (South Carolina).

http://www.scnoncompetelawyer.com/

"A covenant not to compete will be upheld only if it is:

(1) necessary for the protection of the legitimate interest of the employer;

(2) reasonably limited in its operation with respect to time and place;

(3) not unduly harsh and oppressive in curtailing the legitimate efforts of the employee to earn a livelihood;

(4) reasonable from the standpoint of sound public policy; and

(5) supported by a valuable consideration.

* * * *

If a covenant not to compete is defective in one of the above referenced areas, it is totally defective and cannot be saved."