{"id":1021,"date":"2025-03-14T18:15:45","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T17:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newhaven.legal\/?p=1021"},"modified":"2025-08-27T07:12:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T05:12:31","slug":"nachvertragliche-wettbewerbsverbote-missverstaendnisse-und-was-wirklich-zaehlt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newhaven.legal\/en\/post-contractual-non-competition-clauses-misunderstandings-and-what-really-counts\/","title":{"rendered":"Post-contractual non-compete clauses: Misunderstandings - and what really matters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Post-contractual non-compete clauses are a hot topic - and yet there are many misunderstandings about what really applies. How long can a non-compete clause be? Does it always have to be paid? And what is important for managing directors and employees?<br><br>Here are the five biggest misunderstandings - and what really counts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Myth 1: Post-contractual non-compete clauses should be shorter rather than longer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This is not entirely correct. It is true that <a href=\"https:\/\/newhaven.legal\/en\/nachvertragliches-wettbewerbsverbot-2\/\">Post-contractual non-compete clauses<\/a> may not be agreed for a period longer than 2 years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, courts have also declared post-contractual non-compete clauses to be unenforceable due to their particularly short term of only 3 or 6 months.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reason: In the case of short terms, there are doubts as to whether the non-competition clause is covered by a legitimate interest of the company.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, depending on the length of the product cycles in the company, short non-compete clauses may also be enforceable. As is so often the case, it depends on the individual case.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Myth 2: Post-contractual non-compete clauses always cost money.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This is not entirely correct either.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For post-contractual non-competition clauses with employees, compensation of at least 50 % of the last contractual benefits received must always be paid if the non-competition clause is to be enforceable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The principle is different for managing directors and board members: In 2024, the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) once again clarified that the validity of a post-contractual non-compete clause with managing directors does not depend on the payment of compensation for non-competition. The decisive factor is that the non-competition clause is covered by a legitimate interest of the company and is not too broad in terms of content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, managing directors may qualify as employees. In such cases, a post-contractual non-competition clause without compensation is null and void.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Myth 3: The more specifically the material and geographical scope of application is defined, the more likely the post-contractual non-compete clause is to be effective.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In fact, specific designations are often not even possible at the time of the non-compete agreement because it is not possible to foresee who the relevant competitors will be when the employment relationship ends - often years later.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the case of post-contractual non-competition clauses with employees, a particularly specific limitation of the non-competition clause is also not required: <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This is because a post-contractual non-competition clause with employees that is worded too broadly is reduced by law to the part that is just permissible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is safe to formulate the non-competition clause more generously here.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Myth 4: If a non-compete clause is worded too broadly, it is irredeemably void.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A distinction must be made between post-contractual non-compete clauses with employees on the one hand and managing directors on the other.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An excessively broad post-contractual non-competition clause with employees is reduced by law to the part that is just permissible and is therefore enforceable (reduction to preserve validity, see myth 3).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The situation is different for non-competition clauses with board members: If these are too broadly defined in terms of geography or subject matter, they are generally irremediably void.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the case of non-competition clauses with managing directors, a reduction in the scope of application may be considered in exceptional cases if the agreement contains a severability clause that is not subject to GTC control because the managing director was able to influence the drafting of the clause.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Myth 5: Post-contractual non-compete clauses with employees are subject to stricter rules than non-compete clauses with managing directors.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>That is not true. Non-compete agreements with managing directors are sometimes subject to stricter rules.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A non-competition clause for board members is generally incurably void if it is broader than necessary in terms of territory and subject matter (myth 4). In the case of employees, a post-contractual non-competition clause that is too broad is reduced to the extent that is just permissible and remains binding for both parties (myth 3).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The situation is different for compensation for non-competition: Non-compete agreements with employees that do not provide for compensation for non-competition are null and void - this is not the case for managing directors (myth 2).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the case of managing directors, it is generally possible to waive the non-competition clause even after the end of the employment relationship. This is not the case for employees.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is therefore always necessary to check who is the addressee of the non-competition clause.<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Post-contractual non-compete clauses are a hot topic - and yet there are many misunderstandings about what really applies. How long can a non-compete clause be? Does it always have to be paid? And what is important for managing directors and employees? Here are the five biggest misconceptions - and what really counts: Myth 1: Post-contractual non-compete clauses should be a little shorter [...]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"blogtype":[5],"class_list":["post-1021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein","blogtype-neuigkeit"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>NEWHAVEN - Aktuelles: Nachvertragliche Wettbewerbsverbote: Missverst\u00e4ndnisse - und was wirklich z\u00e4hlt<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/newhaven.legal\/en\/post-contractual-non-competition-clauses-misunderstandings-and-what-really-counts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NEWHAVEN - Aktuelles: Nachvertragliche Wettbewerbsverbote: Missverst\u00e4ndnisse - und was wirklich z\u00e4hlt\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Nachvertragliche Wettbewerbsverbote sind ein hei\u00dfes Eisen \u2013 und dennoch kursieren viele Missverst\u00e4ndnisse dar\u00fcber, was wirklich gilt. Wie lang darf ein Wettbewerbsverbot sein? Muss es immer bezahlt werden? Und worauf kommt es bei Gesch\u00e4ftsf\u00fchrern und Arbeitnehmern an? Hier sind die f\u00fcnf gr\u00f6\u00dften Irrt\u00fcmer \u2013 und was wirklich z\u00e4hlt: Mythos 1: Nachvertragliche Wettbewerbsverbote sollten lieber etwas k\u00fcrzer [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/newhaven.legal\/en\/post-contractual-non-competition-clauses-misunderstandings-and-what-really-counts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWHAVEN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-14T17:15:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-27T05:12:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/newhaven.legal\/wp-content\/uploads\/nh-sharepic.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"545\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"339\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"annekathrinbertke\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"annekathrinbertke\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newhaven.legal\/nachvertragliche-wettbewerbsverbote-missverstaendnisse-und-was-wirklich-zaehlt\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newhaven.legal\/nachvertragliche-wettbewerbsverbote-missverstaendnisse-und-was-wirklich-zaehlt\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"annekathrinbertke\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newhaven.legal\/#\/schema\/person\/7dca3bc8128fee46fec3ad0821aeb6d3\"},\"headline\":\"Nachvertragliche Wettbewerbsverbote: Missverst\u00e4ndnisse &#8211; 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