The times they are a-changin’—and it’s beginning to look like things may never go back to the same way they were pre-pandemic. Indeed, COVID-19 has materially affected just about every aspect of our lives. Arguably one of the biggest changes has been the unprecedented manner in which millions of Americans have quit their jobs in search of new career opportunities that offer greater flexibility, improved work-life balance, higher pay and increased opportunity for advancement. In some cases, these individuals are resigning from their jobs by way of email from home, without even the courtesy of providing the traditional two-weeks’ notice.

This phenomenon, coined the “Great Resignation,” continues to endure even after the precipitous decline in infection and mortality rates, with nearly 4.3 million people quitting their jobs in January alone, according to the March 9 U.S. Department of Labor, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Report. Many of these departing employees were privy to trade secrets that are now at risk of being disclosed to competitors, and the traditional protections may not cover the novel employment arrangements in this new normal.