FWD: SONATA = Situation ON Allocating Time for Additionalities

["Eric J. Ray" <ejray -at- RAYCOMM -dot- COM>]

Name withheld upon request. Please reply on list.

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TIA for any insight or experience you can share which might help me in the following situation.

SONATA = Situation ON Allocating Time for Additionalities

BACKGROUND: I've been working as an employee of a small software company for about 6 months. I like the job and my manager, and they like me. The company is very flexible with working hours and time off. I am occasionally busy, but usually keep pace with the demands of the job during *normal* working hours.

OPPORTUNITY: Today I got a call from a man I used to work for who wants my help on a project. It's something I did before as an employee at his company, and he would pay a very good hourly rate for me to do it again as a contractor. I would probably need to devote 10-20 hours a week to the contract job for the next 7 months. It will require occasional travel (2-5 days, maybe four times during the project).

DILEMMA: I would like to do this, primarily for the money, but I don't want to harm the relationship I have with my current full-time employer. I could perhaps handle this as a true *moonlight*, without ever telling my employer what's going on except that I need to take time off for the out-of-town trips (more than my vacation entitlement, which would be unpaid). But I'd rather not do that. I have a family, etc.

What I think I'd like to do is approach my employer for a temporary *partial leave of absence* -- convince my manager that I can handle my documentation responsibilities while taking a day off every week to work on the contract project, in addition to the occasional trips.

What do you think?

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