Non-compete clauses: Whether you are a junior white-collar worker or a senior high-flier, they can seem like traps that may blow up in the future. You hesitate for a second when you see them in the employment contract that has been placed before you, but end up signing anyway.

These restrict an employee from joining their former employer’s competitors, poaching their customers, divulging commercial secrets, or luring away former colleagues, immediately after leaving their present employers.