Forced retention

Forced retention refers to the act of applying pressure to employees to deter them from leaving a company. The most common way to do this is through legal means, such as non-compete and non-disclosure agreements. Given an adequately broad agreement, a company may threaten employees who try to leave for competitors (or in some cases, non-competitors) with legal action. In some countries, the government may implement similar laws or policies to prevent or discourage employees from leaving certain companies or government organizations. It has also been applied to companies which offers significant financial benefits to employees to encourage them to stay, in particular after a merger (for example, a minimum period to qualify for stock options), but this usage is commonly considered incorrect.