On May 11, Randy Edwards spoke at the monthly Southeast Franchise Forum breakfast on enforcing Trade Secrets and Non-Competes. The other presenters took the pro-franchisor side, and Randy (naturally) took the franchisee side. “At the SEFF presentation, I got out-voted 2-1 on what to say to the audience about the proposed constitutional amendment to make it much easier to enforce an unreasonable non-compete in Georgia. Obviously big businesses, their lawyers and lobbyists, are in favor of anything that gives business more power over their employees and franchisees.
Despite the wording of the referendum on the ballot, “reasonable competitive agreements” are upheld every day. This new law, if passed, will redefine what is reasonable, and authorize, if not encourage, employers and franchisors to write truly onerous agreements, with knowledge that the courts will enforce them anyway. This will truly take away the last and only favorable law in Georgia for employees. It is important that everyone with a job vote AGAINST/NO to THIS TROJAN HORSE, which, if approved, will be completely anti-employee, anti-competitive and hurt the workers of this state greatly.”
