Consistent with our previous reporting that states would continue to address noncompete issues even after the apparent end of the FTC Noncompete Rule, Ohio has joined the growing list of jurisdictions seeking to restrict the use of noncompetes.

On February 5, 2025, Ohio state Senators Louis W. Blessing (R) and William P. DeMora (D) introduced Senate Bill (SB) 11 (the “Bill”), that, if enacted, would prohibit employers from entering into a noncompete agreement with a “worker” or “prospective worker”.

The Bill defines “worker” as “an individual who provides services for an employer[,]” including, among others, employees, independent contractors, externs, interns, and volunteers. The Bill does not define “prospective worker.”

If enacted as introduced, the Bill would prohibit employers from enforcing agreements that prohibit or penalize workers from seeking or accepting work with a person, or operating a business, after the conclusion of the relationship between the employer and worker, including any of the following:

• Prohibiting the worker from working for another employer for a specified period of time, in a specified geographic area, or from working for another employer in a capacity similar to his or her work for the employer;
• Requiring that the worker pay for lost profits, lost goodwill, or liquidated damages because the worker terminates his or her relationship with the employer;
• Imposing a fee or cost on a worker for terminating the work relationship; and
• Requiring a...

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