Photo by Austin Loman (http://austinloman.blogspot.com)

Yes, we’re talking about that sandwich shop that makes the claim of being super-fast on delivery of your deli sandwich. What they don’t tell you about in their marketing campaigns is the non-compete clause they require every employee to sign.

The clause bans all employees from being able to work for any “competitor” within a three mile radius of ANY Jimmy Johns for a full two years after leaving Jimmy John’s employment. A “competitor” is any business that derives 10% or more of food sales through sandwich products. This includes all fast food establishments, almost all dinner restaurants, gas stations, vending services, schools, daycare centers, hospitals with cafeterias and anywhere else you might find sandwich makers trying to steal Jimmy John’s “proprietary” practices.

Seriously? Okay – let’s talk about non-compete clauses. These are legally binding contracts usually required from top level executives, scientists, researchers and others handling the most sensitive and secure information within a company. Seldom do they concern every employee, including the cleaning staff.

Jimmy John’s traditionally employees people between 18 and 24 years old. These are for the most part college students, single moms, graduates just starting out on their own, young adults helping the family income and veterans. This attitude from Jimmy John’s regarding their employees sends the message loud and clear: “We own you, if you try to leave we can keep you from working many places, and we don’t care if all you did was sweep the floor and clean the restrooms. We own you, you signed a contract, so shut up and do your job or be unemployable for two years.” How’s that for what is your first employment experience?

This provides not only a first experience with employment, it also provides many with their first experience with corporate oppression. To excersize this kind of control over the individual lives of employees not involved in the overall research, development and strategy of the company’s products and marketing campaigns is done to limit their ability to bargain for fair raises, acceptable working conditions and schedules, the right to organize for collective bargaining through union labor and other benefits afforded workers in other companies of similar employment skills. Oppression of Jimmy John’s employees does not work as a recruiting or retention tactic and should be challenged in a court of law.

This is clearly a way to control employee lives, not protect the secret makings of a BLT. What turkey sandwich is so complicated that you would restrict a person from working someplace else for two years if they saw you make one? Or is it in the spreading of the mayo?

Our biggest question: Who would want a sandwich from a business that treats their employees in such a way? 

Boycott Jimmy John’s.