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Subject:RE: Contracting on the side...ethical? From:"Sarah Bane" <Sarah -dot- Bane -at- spectrumretail -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 13 Oct 2000 09:29:34 -0500
Anon, here are questions to consider.
1. Is the other dot-com a competitor? If you signed a non-compete
agreement, you can't even accept employment with the competitor for a
specified period after leaving your current employer.
2. If it is not a competitor, does your current employer have a policy
preventing you from accepting other employment? Many employee guides
address this issue; if yours doesn't, ask your supervisor.
3. If your current employer permits it, will the other contract
interfere with your current employment? That is a question you will
probably be asked anyway when you ask your employer the second question.
If the answers to all three questions are "no," and if you believe you
have the time and energy to do both jobs satisfactorily, then go for it.
Of course, tell your employer you have taken the second job. If you
don't, it will look as though you are up to something you shouldn't be.
I am fortunate that my employer is understanding about my second job. I
had been teaching evening classes for several semesters when I
interviewed here at ProphetLine, and asked if it would be a problem if I
continued to do so, as it means I am unable to work late two or three
evenings a week. My boss told me that he was a supporter of education
and I could adjust my schedule to allow me to leave early on afternoons
when I had an evening class. I think he believes it reflects well on the
company to have an employee who is also a "college professor."
Sarah Bane
Technical Writer, ProphetLine, Inc.
and Associate Instructor, Westark College
sarah -dot- bane -at- spectrumretail -dot- com
sbane -at- systema -dot- westark -dot- edu
Opinions expressed are my own and not endorsed by ProphetLine or by
Westark.
