The US Department of Justice (DoJ) is reportedly in advanced talks with several technology companies in the US in a bid to reach a settlement over an inquiry of anti-poaching agreements made with each other. The firms include Google, Apple, Adobe Systems.Intel, Intuit and Walt Disney unit Pixar Animation. According to people familiar with the matter, these companies are in final stages of negotiations with the government.
A Wall Street Journal report notes that some of the companies are expressing more willingness than others to settle with the government over antitrust issues. However, all parties are hoping to avoid a court battle over the issue. Last year, as the DoJ launched its investigation, it had been reported that Apple and Google had formed an informal agreement not to poach each others' employees. Nevertheless, employee-initiated job hopping between the two firms was permitted.
The tech companies involved reportedly argued that no-poaching agreements are vital for fostering innovation. Such agreements allow the companies to collaborate on projects while offering some measure of reassurance that their partners won't seek to hire away their key employees. The DoJ, however, argues that even the banning of the cold-calling practice seen in the least restrictive of the deals between companies has an adverse effect on employee wages and job mobility.
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