Ohio not among states limiting noncompete agreements

Reproduced from Economic Innovation Group; Note: Income restrictions refer to states where noncompetes are enforceable depending on an employee's income level. Other restrictions include noncompetes for certain types of workers, duration, etc.; Map: Axios Visuals

Many states already outlawed or restricted noncompete agreements before the Federal Trade Commission voted last week to ban them.

Zoom in: Ohio is not one of them, nor is neighboring Michigan, Pennsylvania or West Virginia.

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Yes, but: State lawmakers are considering passing restrictions aimed at the health care sector, where these contracts are particularly popular .

• State Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, a retired physician, proposes to limit such agreements at nonprofit hospitals to six months and a 15-mile surrounding area.

What he's saying: The agreements "are inherently anti-free enterprise, and impede an individual's ability to earn a living as he or she so chooses," he said in committee testimony.

The other side: The Ohio Hospital Association opposes the bill, calling noncompete provisions "necessary" to protect hospital staffing, particularly in rural areas.

• The law would "significantly impede their ability to bring health care providers to their communities where they already struggle to recruit new providers."