WASHINGTON — Hospitals and physicians are squaring off over a proposed Biden administration rule that would ban noncompete agreements — contractual clauses common in the health care industry that prevent workers from working for a competitor for a certain amount of time after leaving a company.
Lobbying giants like the American Hospital Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce argue that a ban on noncompete clauses would make it difficult for employers to retain workers and protect their investments in recruiting and training.
But physicians say the clauses are so common that they have no option but to sign them, limiting their career growth, contributing to burnout and forcing them to leave their communities for other jobs.
