The federal government has released a consultation paper to gather community insights and feedback on how to ban non-compete clauses to boost productivity and wages across the Australian economy. 

Currently more than three million Australian workers are covered by these clauses. Research suggests a ban on non-competes could lift the wages of affected workers by up to 4%, or about $2,500 per year for a worker on median wages. 

The consultation paper also seeks views on complementary reforms to close loopholes in Australia’s competition laws that allow businesses to make anti-competitive agreements that cap workers’ wages or block staff from being hired by competitors. 

Submissions close 5 September 2025. Visit here

Read more on non-compete clauses here