NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) — Examination Management Services Inc. (EMSI) has agreed to stop using non-compete agreements for the majority of its employees in New York, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has announced.
“Restricting rank-and-file workers from being able to find other jobs is unjust and inappropriate,” Schneiderman said. “Workers should be able to change jobs without fear of being sued by their prior employer.”
EMSI is a national medical information services provider with headquarters in Texas. According to Schneiderman’s office, the company had been requiring all employees to sign a non-compete agreement, which prohibited them from working for competitors after leaving the company. These employees had no access to trade secrets or other sensitive information, Schneiderman argued. In general, a non-compete can only be used in New York for those with access to trade secrets or those with highly unique skills.
“I am grateful to Attorney General Schneiderman for looking into this issue,” said Margaret Beebe, a former EMSI employee who lodged a complaint with the state. “Now that I am released from my non-compete with EMSI, I can look for a good, stable job in my field without worrying about having a non-compete agreement.”
Assistant attorney general Haeya Yim of the Labor Bureau handled the case.