US Labor Watchdog Denounces Noncompetes, Adding Momentum for Ban

Companies should revisit their use of noncompete provisions in employment contracts that keep workers from switching jobs, the US labor board’s top prosecutor said, amplifying efforts in Washington to outlaw the practice.

“I would want employers to really reconsider their policies around noncompetes,” Jennifer Abruzzo, general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, said Wednesday in an interview with Bloomberg News.

The NLRB enforces federal labor law, and Abruzzo runs the agency’s enforcement arm, which is currently litigating cases against leading US companies including Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., Starbucks Corp., and Tesla Inc. among others.

Cases ...