Think back to the last time you started a job and had to sign a contract, how closely

did you read what you were signing?

The contract might have contained something called a non-compete agreement.

Companies use these agreements to stop workers from leaving one job and taking confidential

information to arrival.

Our colleague Lauren Weber covers workplace issues.

Have you ever had an employer try to put a non-compete on you and your employment contract?

You know, the scary thing is I don't even know because this is what happens with a lot

of workers.

You go in on the first day of work, you're handed a bunch of paperwork by your HR representative

and often we sign things without reading through the whole thing, reading the fine print.

So I frankly don't even know the answer to that.

I agree with you.

I can't say for sure.

You know, I've gotten proprietary training that the journal has provided that I could go

and share at other places, but it's not common in journalism and I'm grateful for that.

Let's not give our employer any ideas.

True.

Non-compete agreements affect a lot of people.

The Federal Trade Commission says that as many as one in five workers has one and studies

show they can have a negative impact on employees by locking them into jobs and suppressing their

wages.

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