Press Release  MA AG’s Office Helps End Unfair Employment Practices, Including Non-Compete Agreements At Valvoline

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO), along with a multistate coalition of six attorneys general, has announced a settlement agreement to end unfair employment practices at Valvoline LLC, Valvoline Instant Oil Change Franchising Inc., and VGP Holdings LLC (Valvoline), a major nationwide oil change and auto services company.  

The coalition alleged that Valvoline required its hourly employees to sign non-competition agreements that prohibited them from working in the oil change business at any store within 100 miles of their Valvoline location for one year after leaving Valvoline. The coalition also alleged that Valvoline required its hourly employees to sign non-solicitation agreements that forbid them from soliciting current Valvoline employees or customers for one year after their employment with Valvoline ended. These unfair agreements placed an undue burden on workers and significantly reduced their future employment opportunities. 

In accordance with the agreement, Valvoline has stopped requiring workers to sign these agreements and will notify current and former employees who would have been impacted by the agreements within 15 days of the agreement that they are no longer in effect. If Valvoline materially violates the terms of the agreement, the AGO can seek a $500,000 penalty.  

This settlement will benefit 440 current employees and 500 former employees throughout the coalition states. 

The agreement in its entirety may be viewed here.  

Joining the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office in negotiating this agreement, which was led by the Attorney General of Minnesota, were the attorneys general of New York, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. 

In Massachusetts, this matter was handled by Assistant Attorneys General Tallulah Knopp and Meryum Khan, both of the AGO’s Fair Labor Division.  

Workers in Massachusetts who believe their rights have been violated may call the AGO’s Fair Labor Division at (617) 727-3465 or file a workplace complaint with the AGO.   

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