Remote Work & Employee Exits – New 7th Circuit Decision Faults Employer for Not Demanding Deletion of Company Data from Personal Devices

Remote Work, Non-Compete, Confidential Information, Personal Devices

Remote work grew exponentially during the pandemic and seems to have become a permanent feature of working life in the U.S. According to a survey by Pew Research, 60% of employees whose jobs can be performed remotely are still working from home all or most of the time.[1] Another 18% of such employees report working from home at least some of the time.

Along with the explosion of remote work came a massive increase in employees using their own computers, tablets and mobile phones for work. Allowing employees to use their own devices brings with it the risk that that company data will migrate to the devices.

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Employer Gets Dinged When Illinois Court Refuses Request for Partial Enforcement of Non-Compete Against Low-Wage Worker

Confidentiality Clauses, Non-Compete, Non-Solicit, Confidential Information, Illinois

Bad facts make bad law, the saying goes. In the non-compete world, it might more aptly be said that filing a weak lawsuit against a sympathetic defendant makes bad law.

A recent decision by the Illinois Appellate Court is a good example. The court refused to enforce a non-solicitation agreement that many judges would have upheld under the right circumstances. The likely (if unspoken) reason? The defendant was a low-wage employee who fixed car dents for a living and who hadn’t done anything particularly wrong after quitting his job.

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Non-Disclosure Clauses in Employment Agreements Held Void Under Wisconsin Law for Lack of Time Limitations

Non-Compete, Nondisclosure, Trade Secrets, Wisconsin, Confidential Information

It is well-settled that a non-compete must include a reasonable time limitation in order to be enforceable. Most employers understand this requirement and limit the duration of the their non-competes (and non-solicits) to 2 years or less.

But what about confidentiality/non-disclosure provisions in employment agreements? Must they also contain time limitations?

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