You know how I've been lamenting about my poorness and lack of 'the green' stuff lately and my search for a 2nd part-time job has yielded no results? Well, tonight an offer presented itself and I'm not sure how to proceed.
A person I work with on occasion (but doesn't work 'for' my company) called me at home. I'll call him Bob. Roused me from a sound sleep in a panic because he needed my help with his job that involved what I do for a living, which I ended up doing and making $100 for about 3 hours of my time. No, it wasn't illegal. No, it wasn't sexual. Without going into a lot of details about what I do for a living let me try to give you an example of my problem.
Imagine you are a bulldozer driver and you work for Diggers "R" Us. You work full-time and do your job very well. While working for Diggers "R" Us you get to know the Bob. Bob owns a construction company that could use an experienced bulldozer driver on occasion and would like to hire you. As in moonlighting. Bob doesn't want to try to hire you in any way, shape or form that would take hours away from your job at Diggers "R" Us, just a couple of times a week in the evenings when your shift with your employer is over. And you would not be using any of the bulldozers from your job, Bob would supply you with one of his. Bob knows and you know this would be considered a conflict of interest with your boss at Diggers "R" Us, but how much say-so do they have over how you spend your time after you leave work? And did I mention the money is really good?
What would you do? If you go to your boss and ask and they say no, and you do it anyway, you could be fired. If you don't go to your boss and they find out you're moonlighting you could be fired.
See the problem?
And I don't want to jeopardize Bob and his relationship with Diggers "R" Us. He doesn't either. When he called me tonight it was only because it was his last resort. If Diggers "R" Us thought he was trying to steal away their employees, they would stop using him. Bob also knows this. He doesn't want to rock the boat either. But I'm also charging less per hour than other bulldozer drivers so he has the potential to increase his own profit on every job that I do for him. It's a conundrum.
While analyzing my problem a particular phrase comes to mind...
'It's always easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask permission.'
Does that apply in this case?
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2 comments:
As long as you're not doing anything that compromises information/trade secrets/whatever for the company you work for now, I don't see an issue.
Let me put it this way: I'm a programmer. I build apps for my company. I also occasionally do programming for small jobs outside work. As long as I don't use my work computer or time at work to do this stuff, and as long as what I'm working on does not compete with or have anything to do with my job, I'm in the clear. Your boss doesn't want you to moonlight? They oughta pay you more. :)
YES. I think you're pretty safe. Bob has as much to lose as you do, so he's not going to say anything.
And if you are found out you could just play stupid. You didn't know moonlighting wasn't allowed. sorry. sorry. sorry.
But is anyone else involved or would know about this?
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