Employee Noncompetes Ban Goes to D.C. Mayor After Council OK

The District of Columbia would bar employers from imposing noncompete clauses that block their employees from going to work for a competitor under legislation headed to Mayor Muriel Bowser.

The D.C. Council approved a near-total ban on noncompetes in a final vote of 12-0 Tuesday—adopting a stricter approach to the issue than any of the states that have recently passed laws to restrict noncompetes. Eight states, including neighboring Maryland and Virginia, have enacted bans on noncompetes for low-wage workers since 2016, although with widely differing definitions of “low wage.” The D.C. legislation, if it becomes law, would allow ...