non disclosure

Your employer can condition your continued employment on signing a non-disclosure

If you are an employee at will, meaning that you do not have an employment contract and are not in a union, your employer can require you to sign a non-disclosure agreement to keep your job. There is no law to prevent an employer from terminating an employee who refuses to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

That said, be careful of what you sign. If it is purely a nondisclosure agreement (NDA), you run little risk in signing it. Under Ohio trade secrets law, you cannot disclose proprietary employer information, whether you sign the NDA or not. If the agreement also limits your ability to compete against your current employer, however, be very careful, for signing this agreement may limit your ability to earn a living. For more information on non-competes, see the Employment Law FAQs on this site.

Regards,

Neil.

posted by Neil Klingshirn  |  May 31, 2002 2:16 PM [EST]