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Comment by netheril96 | Hacker News Reader

I disagree. The law can only mandate salaries during noncompete periods. It cannot mandate bonuses or stock grants, both of which can be significant.

And as an employee, I prefer that noncompete has no effect. Even if I were paid during noncompete period, I would be outcompeted by other people who are working rather than being idle. It would set my career back.

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Would you be ok if it was total compensation (averaged over a reasonable period) and not salary?

The problem there is people often leave one job for a job which might pay 2x, 5x, or even more.

How about if you get another job offer, your original employer has to either "buy you out" of the new job offer, or you allowed to take it?

This sounds great (as a worker).

I could imagine it poses some risk of gaming the system (ie, have your friends startup fake hire you at 2/5x and use that to bypass noncompete or get a huge raise) - but then the company's out is to not enforce their noncompete (which is essentially what CA enforces) so I think it's a nice "velvet handcuffs" option for employers.

“Easy, just commit fraud.”

It’s like people forget that we have a functioning legal system where a human can see through the bs.

That seems ripe for exploitation. Someone could setup a company that effectively does nothing but offer to hire people for exorbitant rates.

Ny second paragraph talked about that. It would set my career back doing nothing.

My fear around banning is that if an employer were willing to buy you out but non competes are banned the only real option they have would be to not hire you, no?

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