Post-Employment Non-Competition: The Content of Agreements and the Interpretation of Fairness in the Practice of Latvian Courts
Słowa kluczowe:
restrictions on competition, non-competition clauses, termination of employment relationships, terms for restriction on competition, adequate monthly compensationAbstrakt
This article analyses restrictions on competition after the termination of employment in Latvia, focusing on both the regulatory framework and case law. It examines the purpose of restrictions on competition and the conditions for their validity and includes an in-depth analysis of the concept of fair compensation in modern labour law. For comparative context, the regulations of other European countries on these issues are also outlined. Due to the limited scope of the publication, issues such as the possibility of unilateral withdrawal from a non-competition agreement and legal remedies in cases where one of the parties fails to comply with the terms of an agreement are not addressed.
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