About 20 years ago I joined a large company in California, where non-compete clauses are essentially disallowed.
A few years later, I moved to the company's offices in Washington State, where non-competes are allowed. Before the move I emailed HR and asked if I needed to sign the WA state employment agreement (with that non-compete clause) and they said "no". I saved that email.
Forward a decade, I resigned to work for a competitor.
That exit interview was fun. :-)
[I was working on completely different stuff at the new company. I do take NDAs and trade secrets seriously].
A few years later, I moved to the company's offices in Washington State, where non-competes are allowed. Before the move I emailed HR and asked if I needed to sign the WA state employment agreement (with that non-compete clause) and they said "no". I saved that email.
Forward a decade, I resigned to work for a competitor.
That exit interview was fun. :-)
[I was working on completely different stuff at the new company. I do take NDAs and trade secrets seriously].