Employment contracts are valid in Oklahoma courts, but there is some important fine print you should be aware of. Let me explain this in plain English, with the legal bits mixed where they matter.
First, you need the basics. Think of it like buying a house: Both sides need to shake hands on the deal, something valuable needs to change hands (usually money and a job), and nobody can promise anything illegal. It’s pretty straightforward stuff.
Here’s where it gets interesting, though. Oklahoma has this thing called “at-will” employment. Without a contract, you or your boss can quit whenever you want, with no explanation. However (and this is the legal part), according to established Oklahoma jurisprudence, an adequately executed employment contract can override this default position and establish specific provisions regarding termination protocols and severance arrangements.
Now, about those non-compete agreements – there’s a twist. While they’re technically legal in Oklahoma, the state keeps them on a tight leash. Per Oklahoma Statute §15-219A, you can’t stop someone from working in their field entirely. The only thing you can do is keep them from poaching your existing customers. Period.
What happens if someone breaks the contract? The courts have a few tools in their toolbox. The wronged party might receive monetary damages, or in some cases, the court might step in and force someone to do (or stop doing) something specific. Each case depends on what went wrong and how bad it was.
It is worth noting that all of this assumes we’re dealing with competent parties who understand what they’re signing. You can’t enforce a contract against someone who couldn’t understand it in the first place.
