Jimmy John’s Mandates Non-Ccompete Clause

The national sandwich-shop chain Jimmy John’s is forcing stringent noncompete agreements on even its low-wage workers and drivers. According to the contract, not only are employees barred from working at big chain sandwich competitors, like Subway and PotBelly, for two years, they cannot work at any restaurant near a Jimmy John’s that gets at least 10 percent of its revenue from sandwiches. In August, Jimmy John’s workers filed a class-action lawsuit, alleging the chain engaged in wage theft by forcing them to work off the clock. Last month, one of the workers amended the suit to argue the noncompete argument is overly broad and “oppressive.”