Jan 21, 2025
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Regulators prohibit new noncompetes, which impede millions of U.S. workers from getting a better job.
Federal regulators on Tuesday [April 23, 2024] enacted a nationwide ban on new noncompete agreements, which keep millions of Americans — from minimum-wage earners to CEOs — from switching jobs within their industries.
The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday afternoon voted 3-to-2 to approve the new rule, which will ban noncompetes for all workers when the regulations take effect in 120 days [So, the ban starts in early September, 2024!]. For senior executives, existing noncompetes can remain in force. For all other employees, existing noncompetes are not enforceable.
[That's right: if you're currently under a noncompete agreement, it's completely invalid as of September 2024! You're free!!]
The antitrust and consumer protection agency heard from thousands of people who said they had been harmed by noncompetes, illustrating how the agreements are "robbing people of their economic liberty," FTC Chair Lina Khan said.
The FTC commissioners voted along party lines, with its two Republicans arguing the agency lacked the jurisdiction to enact the rule and that such moves should be made in Congress...
Why it matters
The new rule could impact tens of millions of workers, said Heidi Shierholz, a labor economist and president of the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank.
"For nonunion workers, the only leverage they have is their ability to quit their job," Shierholz told CBS MoneyWatch. "Noncompetes don't just stop you from taking a job — they stop you from starting your own business."
Since proposing the new rule, the FTC has received more than 26,000 public comments on the regulations. The final rule adopted "would generally prevent most employers from using noncompete clauses," the FTC said in a statement.
The agency's action comes more than two years after President Biden directed the agency to "curtail the unfair use" of noncompetes, under which employees effectively sign away future work opportunities in their industry as a condition of keeping their current job. The president's executive order urged the FTC to target such labor restrictions and others that improperly constrain employees from seeking work.
"The freedom to change jobs is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy," Khan said in a statement making the case for axing noncompetes. "Noncompetes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand."
Real-life consequences
In laying out its rationale for banishing noncompetes from the labor landscape, the FTC offered real-life examples of how the agreements can hurt workers.
In one case, a single father earned about $11 an hour as a security guard for a Florida firm, but resigned a few weeks after taking the job when his child care fell through. Months later, he took a job as a security guard at a bank, making nearly $15 an hour. But the bank terminated his employment after receiving a letter from the man's prior employer stating he had signed a two-year noncompete.
In another example, a factory manager at a textile company saw his paycheck dry up after the 2008 financial crisis. A rival textile company offered him a better job and a big raise, but his noncompete blocked him from taking it, according to the FTC. A subsequent legal battle took three years, wiping out his savings.
-via CBS Moneywatch, April 24, 2024
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Note:
A lot of people think that noncompete agreements are only a white-collar issue, but they absolutely affect blue-collar workers too, as you can see from the security guard anecdote.
In fact, one in six food and service workers are bound by noncompete agreements. That's right - one in six food workers can't leave Burger King to work for Wendy's [hypothetical example], in the name of "trade secrets." (x, x, x)
Noncompete agreements also restrict workers in industries from tech and video games to neighborhood yoga studios. "The White House estimates that tens of millions of workers are subject to noncompete agreements, even in states like California where they're banned." (x, x, x)
The FTC estimates that the ban will lead to "the creation of 8,500 new businesses annually, an average annual pay increase of $524 for workers, lower health care costs, and as many as 29,000 more patents each year for the next decade." (x)
Clearer explanation of noncompete agreements below the cut.
Have you, as a customer, ever flirted with or asked out a barista or other service worker (that you don't know outside of their job) while they were on shift?
I've flirted a little, but nothing serious
I've flirted heavily but not asked them out
I've asked out a barista or service worker, and they said yes
I've asked out a barista or service worker, and they said no
I've asked out more than one service worker, with mixed results
No, I've never done this but I might if the situation felt right
No, I've never done this and I wouldn't
It's complicated/other nuanced answer
We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.
Ultimate Guide to being a Waffle House Customer
Prepping your table for busing
Pick a sacrifice plate to put all the uneaten food and trash on, INCLUDING DRINK STRAWS AND UNUSED JELLY/BUTTER/CREAM/ETC
If there is any food bits on your table/bench, scoop them up in a napkin and put them on the sacrifice plate
Stack up remaining dishes into 1 tower, largest on the bottom, smallest on the top
Put all silverware in a cup
If you are at a table servers access from the kitchen, move all your plates to the back of the table for easy collection
Put condiments back in the caddy how you found them (ketchup at the back, hot sauces in the middle, sugar in the front)
If you have a condiment that has nearly run out, take it out of the caddy and place it where your server can obviously see it
DO NOT EAT ON TOP OF THE MENUS, PUT THEM UP WHEN YOURE DONE ORDERING ISWTG
Ordering food
We have pies, but not reliably. There are pecan, chocolate cream, and occasionally seasonal fruit pies. They come to us pre packaged and we don’t get more shipped in often, so it’s first come first serve. Ask your server if you’re interested, but don’t count on getting them.
If you want a side of meat that doesn’t come with what you ordered, see if anyone else at your table is getting it already. An extra side of meat is $5, but if someone is already getting meat they can double it for $2.50
If you want extra eggs, order them as a side. Getting a 5 egg meal is $9.75, but 5 eggs on the side is $6.50
Our blueberry waffles do not have blueberries in them. They have little blubbery flavor nuggets.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT ORDER THE CHOCOLATE CHIP WAFFLE, THE CHOCOLATE IS SO HARD TO CLEAN OFF
The only vegetarian option is the waffle. Everything else is either cooked on the griddle with the meat, or cut with a knife that cuts meat. Even the toast and biscuits
All the “melt” items come with onions. Specify whether you want onions.
We do not have Pepsi/Dr Pepper
If you want iced coffee, we will pour hot coffee in a glass of ice
Specify if you want sweet or unsweet tea. Do not ask for ice tea, because both are iced.
We serve hot tea, but we will bring it to your table to steep
When you get your receipt, check it. We have to calculate all the totals manually on the fly so some mistakes happen— it’s not because we’re trying to scam you, we’re just busy
You can get cherry or vanilla syrup in any soft drink for no extra charge
If you dined in and got a non juice beverage, you can get another one to go for no extra charge
If you cannot stand pickles touching your plate, don’t order a sandwich. If you ask for no pickles, we will just pull them off on the way to your table.
Paying
Please actually tip, we get paid less than minimum wage
Pay with card if you can help it. Cash tips can be really inconvenient to carry/spend. Some people (like myself) don’t even have access to an ATM to put those cash tips into their bank accounts.
Tip in whole numbers. We have to manually total our tips at the end of our shifts, so whole numbers are just easier
For the love of god just come to the checkout when you’re ready to pay
Online to go orders estimated time till done is not accurate on busy days. It will take longer, sometimes 30 minutes or more. Keep that in mind for holidays and natural disasters.
Overall, just don’t be a dick. I can only speak to what is most convenient to Waffle House servers, but I’m sure these guidelines are also helpful to some extent or another to other sit down restaurant servers.
You're using a service where you have to rate the service worker who did the job for you (i.e. Lyft, Doordash, etc). There was a small issue (took longer than it should have, foods a little cold, etc). What rating are you giving the service worker?
Five stars. Maximum rating
I'll rate them something lower than the maximum
I've never used a service like this
Happy Valentine’s Day! Please be extra kind to your local service workers today, especially foodservice. Maybe check in on your chef friends. It’s a rough weekend out there and I know many of us could use the love right now!
You know it’s bad when Mr. Krabs is helping out too (not like he wouldn’t at ALL but yk.)
For those of you who get the reference in the 1st one, you deserve a cookie 🍪
For anyone confused about the other characters, they’re OCs:
Riley the sea snake is my OC and they run the small gift shop for the Krusty Krab. (They’re also SpongeBob’s adopted kid. 🩵)
Ori is the Ranchu Goldfish and it’s @elzore-da-great’s OC :) I think they’re mainly waitstaff but I could be wrong.
The peacock mantis shrimp is Zach, my OC, she’s also waitstaff too but run a lot of errands if needed.
Zeke the pincer shrimp is Zach’s twin sibling and they’re the Junior fry cook that works alongside SpongeBob.
Aftermath:
The babies are also my OCs:
Calder Krabs (the lil guy in the sling on Mr. Krabs ❤️)
Eliana SquarePants (Sponge’s adopted daughter 💜)
Terrell Tentacles (Squidward’s younger cousin 💙)
Ah yes, a girboss and her loyal chihuahua (I hate how that word is spelt.)
No real service workers were harmed in the making of this. And make sure to always be nice to them.
