I have been applying everywhere, but specifically avoiding places like Optum, UHG etc, where I’m pretty sure I would get hired. I want to keep saving my severance. Has anyone else taken this approach or am I remembering the severance package terms incorrectly?
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@15r While I'm in a blue state that's not quite a "paradise," it's definitely better than being in a state that constantly sc--ws over workers and bends over for everything the creepy billionaire tech bros want.
Trump had an opportunity to push the national noncompete ban over the finish line and he chose to go in the opposite direction. It's depressing.
@15q Exactly why I am glad I am in my blue state paradise during this bullsh-t time. They kicked out these Tech Bro failures and now they are wrecking havoc in Texas and Florida.
Thiel got kicked out of CA, then CO, then Florida, and now fled to ARGENTINA like the SS use to do back in the day LOL.
@15b Ha, of course Trump scr@wed workers yet again. Noncompetes are total b.s. and he absolutely should not have been ended this ban. It’s disgusting that he caved to corporations and lobbyists.
@vv That is not accurate. The Biden administration’s FTC attempted to pass a nationwide federal ban on noncompetes. However, that rule was blocked by a federal judge.
In 2025 the Trump administration’s FTC dropped the government’s appeal defending the Biden-era rule, which was the end of the proposed ban.
So it varies state by state. Some states restrict them heavily or ban them but others still enforce them. Be sure to check your own state’s laws.
@OP If you are in California, you're safe. CA has very strict laws against employers doing this as it pushed folks into poverty during the last financial crisis.
@OP They can kiss my a-s. If it comes up tell them it's a business decision just like the business decision they made to lay you off.
Non-compete agreements were basically made illegal and you don’t have to tell them anything.
I believe you only have a non-compete agreement if you received stock as part of your compensation. So that’s an issue for band 5+ and some band 4s.
If you haven’t received any stock awards you’re probably OK. Although I would go over everything you signed as part of your severance before assuming so.
My opinion is that Cigna has laid off so many people over the last couple years that they’re not going to bother chasing people down, except for a few rare exceptions.
lol I've got good news. I'm pretty positive you're remembering this incorrectly and, even if you aren't, there's zero way in he-l they'd catch you. Cigna is barely competitive enough to find their own a-s with a flashlight and a map - they aren't retroactively magically tracking your SSN to make sure you aren't working for a competitor. Would never ever hold up in court. You'd have to be a high level exec doing the exact same job elsewhere for this to even be a slight possibility. You don't sound like exec material if you even need to ask this. Just apply to wherever you think you can get a job. Good luck out there, bro.
So true! Don’t ever overestimate yourself. If you’re so hot, why they let you go? If you didn’t get a gold parachute, you don’t need to worry about the non-compete clauses even you signed before as they company already voided it
Oh dear, OP thinks they will hired like they are hot cake. Who’s gonna tell them ?
The hiring process can take a while. Apply now and see if you can delay start date if necessary or have new place match severance with a hiring bonus.
Non compete clauses for Bands 4 and lower are extremely rare.
Non compete clauses never hold up legally when the employer dismisses the employee.
I believe the non-compete only comes in if you do 'the same' job at a competitor.
If for example, you are a contractor and you know all of cignas negotiated rates in a market and then you become a contractor in the same market for a competitor.
But don't take advice from anonymous strangers online. I would talk to a lawyer.
You should see a lawyer. If you get an offer letter before they lay you off, you can't possibly do any non-compete, and they still legally owe you severance. If you haven't been there a decade, maybe don't hold out for the severance. A good position that you want will be hard to come by? Strike while the iron is hot?
I did not see a non-compete clause in my letter (Minnesota). Some states restrict non-compete beyond 6 months unless you brought trade secrets or other proprietary info.