Agreement Preventing Employment

[tyoka]

I currently work for a major lawn service company in PA. This company got started in this area in 2002 when they purchased a smaller lawn care company's business. The company they purchased still is in the pest control business. I used to work for this company leaving them in 2000 after working for them for 13 years. I now have the opportunity to go back to work for this company. The rumor is that The Major Lawn Care Company and the small pest control company signed an agreement that the pest control company could not hire any of their employees. I did not work for the pest contol company at the time of this sale or agreement. I was working in another profession. Can the Major lawn service company prevent me from going back to work for the small pest control firm. I'm not a manager or any kind of executive with either company. ( never was ) I'm just regular technician trying to make a living.

Thanks SJB

 

[cbg]

IF there is an agreement between the two companies (which does not seem at all certain) it would depend on the terms of that agreement.

 

[Beth3]

It's not uncommon for employers with business ties to enter into agreements with one another not to hire each other's employees. There's nothing unlawful about that. IF such an agreement exists, it's unlikely that they intended to include former employees however. The whole idea behind such an agreement is for the two companies to refrain from "stealing" each other's employees. If you don't work there any longer, why would they care?

I suggest you quit listening to rumors and if one of the companies has an open position you're interested in, apply.