Jackson Hewitt No-Poach Rules Draw Antitrust Class Lawsuit

Jackson Hewitt suppresses wages and limits employment opportunities for tax preparation professionals through its rules prohibiting franchisees from hiring one another’s employees, according to a new class lawsuit.

The company’s franchise agreements say its franchisees may not “ solicit, recruit, or hire” employees during their employment or for one year afterward, according to a Dec. 20 complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The no-poach rules have been in place at least since 2003, it says.

Tom Endres, a tax preparer who worked at a location in Kewanee, Ill., between 2016 and 2018, filed ...