Is it ok to work for two competing companies?

If you work for both BK and Wendy's or KFC and Popeyes, could you get in trouble. Someone told me if you do and the boss finds out, then they can sue you for all the money they paid you before. It has something to do with trade secrets.

My Manager at McDonalds found out that I was working at BK (he locked two of my friends in the freezer until they had to tell me). Now he is telling me if I don't give him all of the money I earned there in the last 15 months, (about $6000), he's going to turn me in to the police. I'm really afraid of gettign busted because I want to go to college someday - but I only saved about $3800 and don't know what to do. He said, he's also going to report me to the district manager of McDonalds - and I've heard that that guys uncle is in the mob.

LOLOLOLOL...... OMG this is tooooo funny... OK, I am going to treat this like it is a REAL question, and totally serious.

Short Short version.. have the jackoff who put people in a freezer arrested for unlawful imprisonment AND attempted extortion, and then report him to the district manager of McDonalds, and that way his mob uncle will whack the guy for putting them at risk for trying to shake you down for your lunch money..

Have this moron arrested for extortion and abuse!
It is against the law to torture employees.
Though it is true that you should not work for competing companies ( I do not think this applies to fast food...lol) I work for the Government and I have to check for conflicting interests before I take on a second job.

Are you serious? What exactly is supposed to be your crime? The criminal is the blackmailer except he doesn't have anything on you. He's counting on your profound ignorance. Tell the police (course, they won't do sht, they're such lap dogs) and set up a sting operation and have him indicted for felony blackmail.

competition at middle management or higher level can be a problem, but not at the flipping burgers stage.

Locking in the freezer is a big no-bo, so you or the kids involved, need to call the police.

Is this a serious question?

First of all, there is no rule about working for competitors unless you signed a non-compete agreement when you hired. Even then, it is hard for employers to win those cases in court unless they can prove that you damaged their business by working for a competitor. Last time I checked, the McDonald's business was still in tact.

Second of all, what trade secrets is it that you are exactly in possession of? I think it's pretty much common knowledge that "two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun" make up the haute cuisine that is the Big Mac.

Third, where the h*ll is this McDonald's - off the Jersey Turnpike? You've been watching too many episodes of Sopranos. No more HBO for you!

As a minimum wage worker, you will NOT be given any trade secrets...I can assure you of that.

Nor, can you be sued.

Your manager is not only abusive, but he is threatening extortion, which is a FELONY, and I guarantee that any money you paid him would end up in HIS pocket.

Someone is TOTALLY handing you a line of bullsh*t. Everything they have told you is a lie.

The worst thing your manager can do is fire you...that's it.

If it were me, I would personally call the CORPORATE office fo McDonalds and tell them what your manager did to you....I have a feeling you'll end up with a new manager.

Don't pay anyone any money.

UNDERSTAND that they are lying to you about EVERYTHING.

He's BSing you - call his bluff, tell him to go ahead. The police aren't going to care where you work, and are going to think he's real weird if he even tried to lodge a report like that - and he knows that.

He might get you blacklisted from working at district McDonalds', but even that is fairly unlikely.

He locked people in the freezer? They could report THAT to the police. This guy sounds like a lunatic.

I don't know what your job is at McD's, but I doubt that you have a lot of trade secrets. If you were a VP at headquarters, they would probably fire you and might be able to sue you because then you'd probably have some inside knowledge - but then you'd probably also have a contract that spelled out what you could and couldn't do, and also wouldn't be likely to have a side job at BK.

Quit worrying. You're done at that McD's, he can fire you, but don't even think about giving him any money. You earned it, and it's yours. You're better off out of there than working for this nut.

Good luck.