Attorney General Ellison reaches settlement with Dolan Printing over non-compete agreements

Dolan Printing to release current and former workers from pre-existing non-compete agreements

May 16, 2024 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that his office has reached an agreement with Dolan Printing, a commercial printer, to release Dolan Printing’s employees from non-compete agreements. Prior to this settlement, Dolan Printing required all employees to sign non-compete agreements barring them from working for a competitor within a 50-mile radius of Dolan Printing’s principal executive offices in Minneapolis for 18 months.

Under the terms of the Assurance of Discontinuance, filed in Ramsey County, Dolan Printing agreed to stop using non-compete agreements that restrict the right of workers to change jobs without penalty. Dolan Printing also agreed to release 14 former and current workers from pre-existing non-compete agreements and to notify those workers of their release.

“Workers should have the freedom to leave their jobs and to use their skills and experience to seek better paying work,” Attorney General Ellison said. “Non-compete agreements that restrict this fundamental freedom for workers are an injustice that harms competition and keeps wages low. I appreciate that Dolan Printing agreed to release its workers from their non-compete agreements.”

The Attorney General’s enforcement of overbroad non-compete agreements is one step in a nationwide effort to recognize the stifling effect non-compete agreements have on trade.  According to the FTC, approximately 30 million American workers—nearly one in five Americans—are bound by non-compete agreements. Most recently, the FTC announced a comprehensive rule banning almost all non-compete agreements. In Minnesota, most new non-compete agreements have been banned since July 1, 2023, with the legislature’s passing of Minnesota Statutes section 181.988. However, even prior to the ban, non-compete agreements were long disfavored in Minnesota.

Filing a complaint as a worker

Workers with concerns or complaints about systematic violations of state and federal wage laws can contact the Attorney General’s Office through its online complaint form (available in Spanish or English). The Attorney General’s Office can also be reached by calling (651) 296-3353 (Metro area) or (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota).