A non-solicitation agreement typically restricts which of the following?

• A. The employer from soliciting employees or customers
• B. The former employee from soliciting the employer's customers or employees
• C. The employee from soliciting the employer's own customers
• D. The employer from hiring contractors

Answer: (C)

Non-solicitation agreements are meant to protect the business by limiting what a departing employee can do to hurt the employer’s relationships with its customers. The best choice reflects that focus: it bars the employee from approaching and soliciting the employer’s own customers, which helps prevent losing business after they leave.

The other ideas drift from what a non-solicitation clause typically targets. Limiting the employer from soliciting customers or employees isn’t the usual focus of this type of clause, and restricting the employer from hiring contractors is unrelated to the concept. While some agreements also restrict a former employee from soliciting coworkers or the employer’s staff, the emphasis most often highlighted is protecting the employer’s customer relationships by preventing the departing employee from soliciting those customers.