RE: FWD: Contracting on the side...ethical?

[KMcLauchlan -at- chrysalis-its -dot- com]

Pat Anderson [mailto:panders -at- aw -dot- sgi -dot- com] replied on 
the topic of moonlight contracting:
> It depends on your answers to the following, Anon:
> 1. Is the product of the other company in competition with 
> your company's product?
> 2. Do you have enough time and energy for an outside contract 
> while working full time?
> 3. Does your employment contract (if you have one) permit you 
> to work at other companies while employed?

I would add (at least) two things to what has already been said:


1) Rather than having a "heart-to-heart" chat with a 
   company superior (unless you have a REALLY solid 
   personal and business relationship), simply look at 
   a copy of your contract (look carefully... :-) for 
   the info -- non-compete, other employment or business, 
   and so on.

2) Unless there ARE explicit clauses forbidding a non-competing 
   second job, remember this: "It's always easier to obtain 
   forgiveness than permission."

In other words, if you start asking questions and advice, you'll 
**most** likely be told that it's safer/better/nicer/whatever 
if you don't do it.  After all, even if you haven't signed a 
contract that forbids secondary employment, and even if your 
relationship with your employer does not include frequent 
episodes of "crunch" all-nighters to meet badly-planned deadlines, 
a canny boss will prefer to pressure you into keeping yourself 
on permanent "on-call" status for any whim of the company.

Think of this, as well; if you were writing the great American 
novel in your off hours, would you expect your employer to 
have a problem with that (as long as you performed well during 
regular business hours)?  Then, how about if your night-time/ 
weekend writing project was a "For Dummies" book, or an O'Reilly 
tech book?   Still ok?  

So, as long as you are not working for a competitor in the 
same business niche and are not giving away proprietary info, 
it's your business what your word processor does in your 
"free" time.   But, have a private e-mail account set up. 
Don't use your employer's resources for interactions with 
the other company.

YMMV  (Your Mileage May Vary)
YLMMV  (Your Lawyer's Mileage May Vary)
YELMMV  (Your Employer's Lawyer's Mileage May Vary)

:-)

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  --     <-- big grain of salt (take with above opinion)

/kevin