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Proposed FTC Non-Compete Ban Effects on Healthcare

As the FTC continues to consider the huge volume of comments received on its proposal at the beginning of this year to adopt a rule that bans non-compete restrictive covenants nationwide, some healthcare organizations are reconsidering the value of such restrictions.  As reported in Modern Healthcare (July, 2023), the value of a restrictive covenant that may not be enforceable is questionable in light of the potentially negative effect of a proposed covenant on recruiting efforts.

State-level bans on non-compete agreements in a few states also create dilemmas for multi-state employers.  

The uncertainty created by the FTC's delay in reaching a decision on its proposed ban may create issues for other employers as well. Restrictive covenants prevent loss of highly valuable personnel and protect the organization's investment in recruiting, compensating and training top-level employees. Does the FTC's delay cast a shadow on this tool and thereby create a dilemma for employers who would otherwise be well-advised to use non-compete agreements?

A senior leader at healthcare staffing company AMN Healthcare said some health systems are expecting some form of a national ban within the next year. Such companies don’t want a restrictive noncompete to be the reason a worker declines a position, especially as the industry continues facing a critical staff shortage. “I think in a world where the FTC will likely ban these in some form or fashion in the next year, you're potentially causing somebody not to take your job over a part of your contract that may not even be enforceable a year from now,” said Cody Futch, vice president of recruiting for AMN Healthcare’s physician solutions division, formerly Merritt Hawkins. If a noncompete clause is so restrictive that a position is left open, then that’s lost money for a system, he said. ---Modern Healthcare, July 26, 2023

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spanos_peter, current events, employment, health care