Can an ex-employer...
 

...tell you that you can't contact any of their employees?

After I left I reached out to a few of my friends and today I get a call from my old boss telling me that his boss is sending me a certified note saying I can't speak to any employees of the company.

Is that legal ?

I should think not. Is there anything like a non compete involved?

Did you sign a separation agreement with conditions?

I doubt it since you quit. They would have had no leverage, like a severance package, to dangle.

What paperwork did you sign when you took the gig?

Check that for severance language.

Basically if you signed nothing coming in/during or upon exit tell him to pound sand.

Technically yes. No law against him sending you a letter, but he can't enforce it. He might fire your friends though.

Signed a non compete - I wouldn't go to the competition anyway.

Funny thing is the bosses boss said I shouldn't burn bridges. I told my boss in passing during my exit interview that bridges work both ways...

Non compete covers more than just going to a competitor.

They can also cover poaching of former co workers which is likely what has his knickers in a twist.

Did you get anything, like cash for signing the non compete?

boss can tell his employees not to talk to you - tho may not be completely enforceable

boss cannot tell you not to contact; might be fun to have your attorney burn a letter up the old bosses' azz

Non solicitation agreements are often part of a non compete. Read yours carefully. Usually it doesn't matter that you quit.

a little ad-vice:

1) In business, pretend like you always have a giant audience watching your every move and you'll usually end up OK.

2) If you ever catch yourself doing anything that feels sneaky at all in business, it's probably wrong and you need to stop it.

3) There is nothing more valuable in an industry than a good reputation and nothing harder to get rid of than a bad reputation.

Funny thing is, I would have no problem helping them out as long as possible. I harbor no ill will at all until now. The big boss is a bit of a bully, he controls his folks with cash and intimidation. Not me any longer. I wash my hands to them.

But I may have to give up the LubeMaster thing - for real. Its a trademark and knowing them they have been watching this board for awhile.

Soooooo....

LubeMonster?

LubeA$$ter?

Hmmm Bet they didn't trademark that last one.

He could go on as a symbol.

The man formerly known as Lubemaster77

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1373427063.jpg

I'm getting out of the lube bidness...but somehow it never gets out of your bidness!

KYmaster!!!!

Whats the new business?

A competitor has recently been contacting a lot of the sales people at my company. One top producer recently jumped ship for them and her non-compete said she could not solicit former co-workers to come work at the new place. She's helping me get in there, but I approached her first and talked with two recruiters before that. Last week I had dinner with my boss and a few other bosses and they talked like I wasn't there, said non-competes are meaningless and are used as a scare tactic, but that they can't enforce them. Yesterday I heard from a co-worker who hadn't yet signed a non-compete that he was forced to do so this week and given a raise for the favor, which, I believe, makes it a little more enforceable. My non-compete was pretty much put in front of me when I was filling out HR paperwork and had no compensation tied to it.

Writing full time - speaking sometimes, consulting a little here and there. I have a few small consulting projects that are intertesting and could pop but I'm not banking on them.

My old company is really funny. They could totally gain big by letting me help them. Instead they took this personal. Oh well. SmileWavy

In a sense I fired them. They make good product and they know how to sell. They also tie in the whole value proposition so basically unless your insane or stupid you should buy their stuff. It is good. No question. I just went as far as I could there and frankly I just am not the salesman type and in that company you need to be a sales guy to get a bump to VP. Its just like that.

I have never been happier in a decision :D

Technically yes. No law against him sending you a letterhttp://www.camj.info/7b.jpg

Wish what I sold was like that.

Has a weak value prop, no proven ROI, its sold on a contract and costs as much as a car lease or more monthly...for what it is, very expensive.

Yet I still sell a ton of it in Connecticut.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right!?


Good luck in your new ventures Lubester;)

What's the product? I may be able to help. I am pretty much useless in all accounts save a few - one being establishing value props pretty much in any scenario.