Formisano & Company Attorneys At Law

Schedule A Consultation Today.

Call 401-400-4402

  • Home
  • Firm Overview
  • Attorney
    • V. Edward Formisano
  • Practice Areas
    • Employment Law
    • Discrimination
    • Sexual Harassment
    • Whistleblower Claims
    • Family And Medical Leave Act
    • Wage – Hour Disputes
    • Separation Agreements
    • Employer Retaliation
    • Wrongful Termination
    • Employment Contracts
    • Civil Litigation
    • Civil Rights
  • Testimonials
  • Case Results
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Firm Overview
  • Attorney
    • V. Edward Formisano
  • Practice Areas
    • Employment Law
      • Employer Retaliation
      • Employment Contracts
      • Whistleblower Claims
      • Wrongful Termination
    • Discrimination
      • Age Discrimination
      • Disability Discrimination
      • Gender Discrimination
      • Military Discrimination / Harassment
      • Pregnancy Discrimination
      • Racial Discrimination
      • Religious Discrimination
      • Sexual Orientation Discrimination
      • Steps To Take When Facing Workplace Discrimination
      • Discrimination & Harassment FAQ
    • Sexual Harassment
    • Family And Medical Leave Act
      • Am I Covered Under FMLA?
    • Wage – Hour Disputes
      • Am I Exempt From Overtime Pay?
    • Separation Agreements
      • Separation Agreement FAQ
    • Civil Litigation
      • Personal Injury
    • Civil Rights
      • Police Brutality And Misconduct
  • Testimonials
  • Case Results
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • X Close
Email

 Call

Formisano & Company Attorneys At Law

Passionate About Protecting Employee Rights

Noncompetition clauses in Rhode Island contracts

On Behalf of Formisano & Company | Nov 17, 2017 | Employment Contracts

Many Rhode Island employers want to avoid a situation in which one of their employees leaves to go to a competitor, taking all of the employer’s valuable secrets and strategies with him or her to share with the employer’s competitor.

For this and other reasons, many employers in this state will put in to their employment contracts noncompetition clauses. These agreements, which mean a person is legally limited as to where he or she can work if he or she wants to change jobs, are usually non-negotiable from the perspective of an employer.

However, Rhode Island courts put limits on how far these agreements can go. For instance, like any other contracts, noncompetition agreements have to be supported by consideration and they have to be part of the employee relationship.

More importantly though, a noncompetition agreement can only go so far as to protect the employer’s interest in preserving things like the employer’s trade secrets and other confidential information. This means, by way of example, that a noncompetition agreement would probably not get enforced if it prohibited a former employee from ever working in his or her profession again.

In any event, though, employees who are contemplating signing a contract need to know exactly what they are agreeing to when they consent a noncompetition agreement, as not following the terms of the agreement can mean an employee gets sued and taken through a difficult court proceeding. In some cases, it may not be worth taking a job if the noncompetition clause is overly restrictive.

As is the case with other terms in employment agreements, noncompetition clauses can be hard to understand, and it can be even harder to predict how such an agreement would affect one’s future. Rhode Island employment law attorneys are available to assist employees.

Categories

  • Disabilities
  • Employment Contracts
  • Employment Law
  • Family And Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
  • Firm News
  • Protected Class Employees
  • Severance Agreements
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Wage and Hour Violations
  • Whistleblower Cases
  • Workplace Discrimination
  • Workplace Harassment
  • Workplace Retaliation

Archives

Recent Posts

  • Layoffs can be legal or unlawfully discriminatory
  • Combating sexual harassment at work
  • Parental leave rights for employees in Rhode Island
  • Bullying at work isn’t actionable, but other conduct is
  • Is there sexual harassment in the military? 

Subscribe To This Blog’s Feed

Contact our qualified legal team, located in Cranston, Rhode Island, to schedule an initial consultation today. We offer practical legal advice and quality counsel.

Formisano & Company Attorneys At Law

Address:

100 Midway Place, Suite 1
Cranston, RI 02920

Phone:

401-400-4402

Cranston Office Location

Get an Experienced Legal Team
On Your Side

Review the Firm
  • Follow
  • Follow

* AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.

© 2025 Formisano & Company • All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Business Development Solutions by FindLaw