Treasurer Jim Chalmers' budget speech on Tuesday evening was a surprising moment to announce a ban on non-compete clauses.
It's almost a year since the Treasury department ran a consultation on these contractual clauses and other workplace restraints, and it did not publish any findings on the public survey.
Depending on who you speak to, the planned 2027 ban on non-compete clauses in employment contracts is either long overdue or an interventionist move by the Albanese government. And the government's consideration of a further ban on no-poach agreements could be even more divisive.
One thing seems certain: a non-compete ban would reduce the flurry of legal letters currently sent to departing employees reminding them of their ongoing obligations.
