Seyfarth Synopsis: Criminal prosecution of “no-poaching/no-hire” agreements appears imminent. Employers should investigate their hiring and compensation practices to ensure compliance with recent antitrust pronouncements.
Background
In October 2016, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) under the Obama Administration issued a joint Antitrust Guidance for Human Resource Professionals (“HR Guidance,” available here). Among other things, the HR Guidance announced that so-called “naked” agreements among employers not to recruit employees or not to compete on employee compensation would be considered per se violations of the antitrust laws and prosecuted criminally.
Continue Reading DOJ to Announce Criminal Enforcement Actions for “No-Poach” Agreements