Should I use non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements for my employees and independent contractors? YES!
While non-competition agreements (covenants not to compete) are essentially unenforceable in California, you can and you should be protecting your confidential information, processes, and intellectual property by requiring all those who come into contact with it (employees, independent contractors, vendors etc.) to sign a very clearly worded agreement stating they agree not to use that information to harm you or your business.
Don’t be left saying to yourself “I never saw it coming…” While signing this type of agreement may be difficult for your long-time trusted employees to understand, it could be the difference between your business surviving a storm (which we all know will come) or not.
