Coworker Abuse 2

[troubled1]

I need some advice....

Recently a co-worker has started their own company and uses company resources and time not to mention 2 hour lunches to go to the clients offices to resolve support issue. They are on the phone 3-5 times a day taking cell phone calls, emails remote help.

What is the ethical thing to do, I have a good relationship with this person but I diasgree with what they are doing and how others see their use of time. On the other hand I dont want to be black balled.

Middle Managment has an idea, but it has been months and nothing has been done...

Am I being to sensitive, what would you do? I am really torn here.

 

[RDK]

This thread is a perfect example of why I am against an employee moonlighting and starting a side business.

Man cannot serve two masters.




Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion

http://www.kitsonengineering.com

 

[BJC]

RDK
To me this whole thread is about discussing situations where all the facts are unknown. Since we don't have all the facts we are playing "what If", the second most popular indoor sport in the world.
As to moonlighting I don't know about Canada but here you can't interfere with what people do on there own time unless you can prove it's hurting your business. If they show up and fall asleep at their desk you can lay them off. If the cause is they are working the late shift at MickyDs or have a sick kid is irrelavant.
If there doing engineering and your an engineering firm that may be different. They would have to be using your clients and or marketing information for it to be thieft. If one of your employees was doing work on Saturdays for a clinet you never heard of and never would have got work from that's not thieft and it shouldn't be be a problem.

Back to Troubled1 original problem. We don't have the facts. Playing "what If" can lead to a range of posible situations from: 1.) The guy is cheating and should be fired. ---- to ---12.) The guy has videos of the company owner and his girlfriend checking in at a Motel. The other 10 can be anything we imagine.
Do you forbid employees to moonlight? Firms here use to have blanket policies against it but the courts have ruled against them. Has there ever been a thead on Moonlighting?

Worse than engineers playing "what if" is engineers playing "lawyers"

 

[RDK]

The OP started off with

"Recently a co-worker has started their own company and uses company resources and time"

If this is true and we can only assume that the facts are as stated then it is a clear case of stealing company resources, justifiable grounds for immediate dismissal up here, don't know about down there but I would be surprised if its not firing grounds since US employees tend to have less protection than Canadian employees.

Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion

http://www.kitsonengineering.com

 

[buzzp]

Seems we had a post red flagged and removed in reply to RDKs Jan 13th 8:45 post. What was wrong with it? I did not see anything negative about it.