The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday announced settlements with three companies that made workers sign noncompete agreements, in which they promised not to work for competitors for a period of time after leaving their jobs.Prudential's agreements threatened workers with a $100,000 penalty if they took jobs with a competitor within a 100-mile radius within two years of leaving, the complaint stated.Together, the companies subjected about 1,700 salaried employees to noncompete agreements which "locked up highly specialized workers" and prevented others from starting competing businesses in the highly concentrated glass industry, Khan said in a statement.- How Joe Biden's order on noncompetes could make it easier to quit your job- Half of U.S. businesses make workers sign noncompete agreementsUnder the FTC settlement, Ardagh and O-I Glass are required to notify workers they are no longer bound by noncompetes and inform any new employees they are free to work for rival businesses after they leave.Noncompetes have become increasingly common, with one study finding that one-third of businesses require their workers to sign away future economic rights in some way."