In an article published in HR Daily Advisor on June 20, 2025, Brian Markovitz explains the new Maryland state law that restricts the use of noncompete and conflict of interest agreements in certain employment contracts for Maryland veterinary and health care professionals.
Signed into law in April 2024, the act’s goal is to encourage job mobility, higher wages, and new firm creation within the two industries. Its first phase began June 1, 2024, when noncompete agreements were banned for veterinary professionals. Beginning July 1, 2025, noncompete agreements for certain health care professionals will be banned as well.
The ban will directly impact healthcare professionals that make $350,000 or less annually, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists, optometrists, social workers, nursing home administrators and massage therapists. For those who earn over $350,000 annually, noncompete agreements are still allowed, but only under strict limitations.
There are some exceptions to the ban, including agreements that protect an employer’s proprietary information. Noncompete provisions included in purchase or sale agreements, however, may still be enforceable.
“Employers should review and update all employment contracts signed on or after July 1, 2025, to ensure compliance,” Brian wrote. “The group of employees now subject to these agreements is very limited, and even for those employees who fit into the narrow group where these types of agreements can be executed, those agreements will be much more limited than in prior years.”
Read the full article “Maryland Restricts Noncompete Agreements for Veterinary and Health Care Professionals” on the HR Daily Advisor website.
