What it is
Enforceability runs state by state. A federal rule banning most non-competes was set aside in court, so state law controls: some states void them, several limit them by income, role, or notice, and many enforce them with injunctions and fee-shifting. Garden leave and the trade-secret route are the common substitutes.
What to do about it: Check the state in your agreement, the term length, the geographic scope, and the venue and fee-shifting clauses. Fee-shifting clauses set who pays when the clause is fought.
Plain-language description of US practice, not legal, tax, or financial advice. The paired guide carries the citations, dates, and thresholds; the state pages carry the local windows.