Contracting on the side...ethical?

[Geoff hart <ghart -at- attcanada -dot- ca>]

Anonymous now treads on shaky ethical ground: <<I am employed for a dot.com 
start-up company as a technical writer.  I was approached by someone who works 
for another dot.com in my building, to see if I would be interested in 
contracting with them for technical writing work.  Is it unethical to consider 
doing this?>>

There are obvious things to consider, the first being whether you could do the 
new job without harming your work for your current employer (i.e., you'd have 
to arrive at work rested, without carpal tunnel syndrome from too much writing, 
able to do overtime if required). Next, ask yourself whether working for the 
other company would involve a conflict of interest (e.g., if you'd 
inadvertently expose confidential information, you'd be aiding a competitor, 
you'd be unable to meet their deadlines because of deadlines imposed by your 
main job). Third, does anything in your current contract prohibit such 
activities?

When I joined my current employer, I made it clear to both my bosses that I was 
doing occasional freelance editing, and that I retained the right to continue 
doing so provided that (i) it didn't interfere with my day job and (ii) that if 
there was the least suggestion of conflict of interest, I'd get their 
permission before proceeding. It's worked well for me thus far.

--Geoff Hart  ghart -at- netcom -dot- ca
Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada
"Most business books are written by consultants and professors who haven't 
spent much time in a cubicle. That's like writing a firsthand account of the 
Donner party based on the fact that you've eaten beef jerky."--Scott Adams, The 
Dilbert Principle