All businesses have sensitive business information that, if misused, can be damaging. Customer pricing, supplier lists, supplier pricing, profit and loss information, internal procedures, and compensation information are just a few examples. And most businesses have employees, independent contractors, or both, who have access to some or all of this sensitive information. The people with access to this information can cause problems for your business if they choose to misuse it.
Non-compete or Non-disclosure?
One way to protect your business’s sensitive information is to require your employees and independent contractors to agree in writing to keep that information confidential and to use it only for the benefit of your business. I’m talking about requiring them to sign a confidentiality agreement, also known as a non-disclosure agreement or an NDA.
A confidentiality agreement is different from an agreement with a non-compete provision, which can protect your business by preventing an employee from working for a direct competitor for a specified period of time after he or she leaves your company. While a non-compete clause can be effective, it can be very tricky to implement and enforce. On the other hand, a confidentiality agreement is easy to put in place and provides protection for your business’s sensitive information that is in the hands of your employees and contractors.
What can you do when someone violates a confidentiality agreement?
A confidentiality agreement only works when it is honored by the person who signed it. Even the most cynical of us believe that some percentage of these employees or subcontractors will honor them, right? But what of those who choose not to honor them?
The answer is that your business will have a contract claim against the person misusing your information. Admittedly, that is not nearly as good as when a confidentiality agreement is honored. If you were to pursue a court case based on your claim, it will be expensive and its outcome will be uncertain. You will have to weigh the cost of going to court to obtain an injunction against the damage caused by the misuse of your information. Even so, a well-drafted confidentiality agreement can reduce the cost of pursuing an injunction and can provide that, if your business gets an injunction, the bad actor will have to pay your legal fees.
What’s the bottom line?
The bottom line is that confidentiality agreements provide benefits to businesses looking to protect their sensitive information from misuse by employees and independent contractors. And the costs of preparation and implementation of these agreements are not substantial and the benefits far outweigh the costs.
Pittsburgh Corporate Attorneys
Contact Dan Lynch dlynch@lynchlaw-group.com or (724) 776-8000 for more information on confidentiality agreements or other types of employment contracts.
