I don't have problems with agencies that make an arrangement with the company that you'll work at. Pay agency X amount if you're hired during this time period. (Usually a sliding scale. The sooner you're hired, the more money the agency gets.)

My current agency works on a six month time limit where the company can't hire me as an employee during that time. After that, no problem on the legal front.

I've also seen the non-disclosure contracts getting weird at times. I was supposed to sign one while I was an employee of one firm that said they could examine anything I did for two years after I quit. That I crossed out along with other non-legal items before signing. I think I left an illegal one in that was non-applicable just as insurance if I missed something else.

Bottom line: Agencies and companies will do as much as they can get away with. Fight them on the unfair parts, which it sounds like you do.

Update: Due to Blue's comments. The NDA that they had wanted me to sign was also a "Sign or leave document" After hammering at it for 10 months they finally came out with one I would sign. Though at the time I was in a fairly critical position so I knew I couldn't get fired without them losing half of their business. Plus I had a manager that whenever the president would ask him "How long would it take a new college grad to get up to Mark's level?", my manager would say four years. I never peed in a cup for them either.

In reply to Re: Headhunters and exclusivity clauses by lemming
in thread Headhunters and exclusivity clauses by eg

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