The Babysitter Clause and the Problem of Partial Noncompete Bans

The Babysitter Clause and the Problem of Partial Noncompete Bans Why half measures fall short If you work in Washington, DC, and earn a middle-class salary, your employer cannot legally stop you from taking another job or starting a business in your field. Unless, that is, you’re a babysitter. Washington, DC bans noncompete agreements for workers earning below roughly $160,000 a year. But the ban expressly excludes “casual babysitters,” meaning that a teenager in high school who occasionally...