When Karrie Williams graduated from magnificence college, she went to work at a Drybar in Bethesda, Md. Drybar’s noncompete clause, she says, barred her from working at one other blow-dry salon or taking conflicting one-time gigs like styling hair for weddings, which might pay as a lot as $250 per updo.  

Ms. Williams, now 32 years outdated, says Drybar paid minimal wage at first, however did allow her to do cut-and-color work at different hair salons. The catch: A lot of these salons required their very own noncompete provisos, too.