I started a new job about two months ago and did sign a non compete with my previous employer. My previous employer in Utah is fine with me working with the new employer, a company in California which does competing work, however, for different clients. Most non compete agreements in California are void anyway, from what I have read. Regardless, I was contacted by my previous employer that a client I used to work with wanted to talk to me. So, I was given the client's name and phone number and to call them.
The client said that he wanted me to do some work for him and that he did not feel that my previous employer had someone that could do this work. I told him that I had signed a non compete and would need to talk to my previous employer about it first.
Here is more of the perspective of my situation. I left my previous employer because he would not lay me off. I went for a few months behind pay and several months with not having much billable work. Although the official reason I had for leaving was "voluntary", it was not accurate. My previous employer is struggling financially and cannot hire someone to replace me. My question is: what can be done if a client is not satisfied with my previous employer's current staff?
Keep in mind I do not have intentions of working for this old client without discussing with my previous employer first. I'm just trying to sort out in my mind the best way to discuss it with him.
"Structural engineering is the art of modeling materials we do not wholly understand into shapes we cannot precisely analyse so as to withstand forces we cannot properly assess in such a way that the public at large has no reason to suspect the extent of our ignorance." -Dr. A. R. Dykes
The client said that he wanted me to do some work for him and that he did not feel that my previous employer had someone that could do this work. I told him that I had signed a non compete and would need to talk to my previous employer about it first.
Here is more of the perspective of my situation. I left my previous employer because he would not lay me off. I went for a few months behind pay and several months with not having much billable work. Although the official reason I had for leaving was "voluntary", it was not accurate. My previous employer is struggling financially and cannot hire someone to replace me. My question is: what can be done if a client is not satisfied with my previous employer's current staff?
Keep in mind I do not have intentions of working for this old client without discussing with my previous employer first. I'm just trying to sort out in my mind the best way to discuss it with him.
"Structural engineering is the art of modeling materials we do not wholly understand into shapes we cannot precisely analyse so as to withstand forces we cannot properly assess in such a way that the public at large has no reason to suspect the extent of our ignorance." -Dr. A. R. Dykes