moonlighting

[cubsfan]

I was thinking about starting to do some sidework in the HVAC consulting market. To keep from competing directly w/ the company I work for I was going to try and contact some architects in adjacent cities, about 3 hours away from where I work, but still in the same state. Does anybody think this is feasable? I would just be doing small comercial jobs. Another problem is being accesible to a client during business hours.

 

[CRG]

Is your employer unwilling to pay you if you work longer hours? If you want more work, ask him/her for it. If you want to work for yourself, do it. Do you think it is fair to use your current employer’s resources for work outside their firm? Example: Do you plan on buying a copy of NFPA, or will you use your current employer’s copy for referencing work that you will be doing on the side? Do you think any of the firm’s drafting details will end up in your work?

Ask your employer if he/she minds you using their resources to do jobs on the side? Also, ask him/her if they mind you quitting and taking some of their clients if your side work proves profitable.

I believe that it is a conflict of interest to try to do work on the side and work full time as an employee doing the same type of work. It is difficult to do without your employers blessing. And, if you ask your employer the question stated above, they would be nuts to say they did not mind if you were a valuable employee.

 

[pablo02]

I think CRG brings up some critical points -- it is hard to "moonlight" doing the same work as your full time job in many of our lines of work without creating a conflict of interest or, in effect, stealing some property rights from your employer... what would you do if a current customer of your employer came to you requesting your services?

If you wish to moonlight, providing a service or performing work outside of your current employer's scope of service would be more feasible and minimize those conflicts with your current employer's interests...

CRG points out an ethical issue -- we should try to keep our work and our professions as ethical as we can -- you see the results of those who don't in our CEO's and our financial leaders today...