Malte Mueller/Getty Images
- Employees at Concentra must give 120 days' notice before they quit, Bloomberg reported.
- Doctors, nurses and physicians assistants have received threats of hefty fines for leaving early, according to Bloomberg.
- The FTC has proposed a rule banning noncompete clauses, which also affect Concentra workers, per Bloomberg.
A healthcare company is demanding that employees give four months' notice before they quit — or pay the difference out of their paychecks, Bloomberg reported Thursday.
A Bloomberg report published Thursday details the experiences of several employees at Concentra, a healthcare company operating urgent care centers and offering occupational healthcare services in the US. Doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners all told Bloomberg that their contracts with Concentra include a clause imposing heavy penalties if they resign without giving 120-days notice.
"You definitely feel trapped," one doctor told the outlet under the condition of anonymity.
Insider reached out to Concentra for comment on the resignation policy, but did not immediately receive a response.
Bloomberg reportedly obtained copies of Concentra contracts, which include the clauses that workers said restrict their ability to quit or move onto roles at competitors, the outlet reported.
The clause in the contract outlining the resignation policy states that employees must pay the equivalent of their wages for days they "failed to provide services" during the four-month notice period, Bloomberg reported.
It also has a noncompete clause to prevent employees from working within 10 miles and a nonsolicitation clause.
The Bloomberg report comes amid nationwide workplace turmoil; thousands of employees are being laid off on Wall Street, at tech giants like Google and Microsoft, and at media companies, like Vox.
But as noncompete clauses and other restrictive measures become popular among corporations, regulators are firing up an effort to halt them all together.
The Federal Trade Commission earlier this month proposed a rule banning employers from imposing noncompete clauses on their workers, according to an agency press release.
The FTC is now seeking comment on the proposal, and will accept public input through March 10.
"Noncompetes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand. By ending this practice, the FTC's proposed rule would promote greater dynamism, innovation, and healthy competition," FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said in the release.