1349. The king issued this ordinance to set maximum wages. It required labourers to finish their contracts before looking for another job. It failed largely because of economic pressures after the *Black Death of 1348: the problem of a shortage of labour could not be legislated away. It did, however, manage to control the rise in wages somewhat. This ordinance and the Statute of *Labourers were both reissued between 1360 and 1362.
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.