Proposed bill in Olympia could end noncompete agreements for all employers

OLYMPIA, Wash. – A new piece of legislation in Olympia is set to bar the use of noncompete agreements for all employers.

These contracts are typically used to prevent employees from joining a competitor or starting a related business within a certain distance or period of time.

Hardeep Rekhi, an employment attorney and president of the Washington State Association for Justice, emphasized the importance of employees having the freedom to market their skills to any employer they choose.

He believes noncompete agreements put workers in an unfair position.

"What it does, it usually suppresses their wages. It makes it so they have fewer opportunities in already a difficult job market. Sometimes it forces them to move out of the area, uproot kids, uproot family, because the employer just doe