If you're going to violate a noncompete, don't tell anyone you're going to work for a competitor. Keep yourself as small of a target as possible for your former competitor's legal team.
- When you quit, tell your now former employer that you're quitting to pursue something other than what was your established industry. Your (made up) lifelong dream of starting your own microbrew brand, Macrome supply business, winery, whatever. Or looking after a sick relative, or going back to school full time, etc.
- Cut off ties with all your former coworkers, at least for the noncompete duration. If you bump into them at the grocery store and you can't get away from them, tell them about how wonderful the beer business is or how your relative is doing.
- Don't put on Facebook or Linkedin that you work for the new employer.
- For the duration of the non-compete, only those closest to you who critically need to know about your new employer, spouse, etc will know.
- Avoid publicly-facing industry related activities that tie you to your new employer for the duration of the noncompete. Giving speeches, presentations, writing article, etc.
None of these are foolproof but they are all common sense. Remember the Monty Python sketch about How To Not Be Seen.
Your suggestion is that if your employer tries to pull this unethical behavior against you, is that you should lie, run, hide, and sacrifice your own personal relationships? There are better ways of dealing with this than acting like what you did was criminal and laying low for a year until it blows over.
In my area and my industry, that would be impossible for me. Several people at my new employer would immediately recognize me and talk with several people at my former employer.
- When you quit, tell your now former employer that you're quitting to pursue something other than what was your established industry. Your (made up) lifelong dream of starting your own microbrew brand, Macrome supply business, winery, whatever. Or looking after a sick relative, or going back to school full time, etc.
- Cut off ties with all your former coworkers, at least for the noncompete duration. If you bump into them at the grocery store and you can't get away from them, tell them about how wonderful the beer business is or how your relative is doing.
- Don't put on Facebook or Linkedin that you work for the new employer.
- For the duration of the non-compete, only those closest to you who critically need to know about your new employer, spouse, etc will know.
- Avoid publicly-facing industry related activities that tie you to your new employer for the duration of the noncompete. Giving speeches, presentations, writing article, etc.
None of these are foolproof but they are all common sense. Remember the Monty Python sketch about How To Not Be Seen.