The Illinois attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Jimmy John’s, claiming the company has “highly restrictive” non-compete agreements for employees.
Upon hire, the popular chain requires workers and delivery drivers to sign an agreement that bars them from working at another sandwich shop while they are employed at Jimmy’ Johns and for two full years after ending employment, the Chicago Tribune reports.
"By locking low-wage workers into their jobs and prohibiting them from seeking better paying jobs elsewhere, the companies have no reason to increase their wages or benefits," Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement to the Tribune.
In the lawsuit, Madigan demands all noncompete agreements put in place by Jimmy John’s to be voided.
The Champaign-based company, which has nearly 300 locations across Illinois, said it stopped using these agreements more than a year ago, according to the Tribune.
Madigan, on the other hand, said the changes have not been communicated to their employees.
A request for comment to Jimmy John’s was not immediately returned.
