Too many employers overuse noncompete agreements. For example, high-profile companies have recently received negative press for forcing low-level employees, often with limited or no access to proprietary information, to sign noncompete agreements.

Statistics show that this problem goes beyond the stories reported in the media. According to the White House, 20 percent of U.S. workers are subject to noncompete agreements, including 14 percent of workers earning less than $40,000 per year.