Ask HN: Moonlighting and how to handle it? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Moonlighting and how to handle it?

3 pointsmuse9004 comments

I am a SE working for a small sized company as a full stack dev.

Recently I was approached by an acquaintance telling me that he is looking for some SE to work on a project he has etc.

I gave it a thought and I was thinking that I could definitely do that for the extra money and the fun involved when developing a new system.

So I approached him and told him that I could potentially work on his project as a freelancer on my off time. He offered to pay me fairly for my services etc and I also explained to him that I would like if there is some sort of small term contract 1 month, where I can stop working for him if I feel overwhelmed with the amount of things I'll have to do for work and on my own time. He agreed that this is very reasonable etc.

Now my question to you guys is what do I do about it and do I tell to my employeer?

I've already discussed this with my director which is a very straight forward guy and we are friends, and he told me to look online about it and that we never ever had this conversation. He told me to put on an email to him with my offer etc, payments and details and send it to him to get forwarded in the higher ranks.

From what I understood is that the company wouldn't rly be very happy about it and the answer would be a no.

So what do I do about it? Do I start working for the other guy and just go with it if its just gonna be for 2-3 months? Do I declare it to my employer and then quit if he says no? (I don't rly want to be working for a company that limits what I do on my personal time)

I live in the UK, and my contract has a clause where it says that I need to inform my employer in case I am taking on another job. The company that offers me that job is not a direct competitor to my company.

Let me know how you'd have handled it.

I'd have to see the exact language in the contract, but if the clause says you have to notify them of other work, then that is that. They could accuse you of breach of contract etc if they find out and you didn't tell them.

It doesn't say you can't take it, I guess, but effectively you can't take any such job because it sounds like management expects that they hired an indentured servant. Which is entirely common these days. Always pay attention to the details in the contract! This clause is common boilerplate, so it depends on how much your company actually cares. It sounds like they use this as a kind of 'warrant canary' to determine when an employee needs to be pushed out.

The fact you already notified your boss<?> and he expects you to send an email w/ the job details (pay etc) - which is really out of line - means... you can lie to him that you didn't take the job, but he is under some possible obligation to report to the company you do or might have another job... it looks messy.

I'd have not told anyone anything and just done the weekend work. The capital/labor relationship is such that you can't trust the other side, ever, beyond some point. The myth of the Golden Age of the 1950s and life long employment is long dead. Management is not your friend. You are your own corporation and have to act like it. Corporations are sociopaths and so you have to learn how to use companies like they use employees. It's "just business" as they say.

The real problem is when contracts give employers the right to everything you think up or work on outside of the 9-5 job. Make sure that clause isn't in the contract. Then I'd start looking for another job (don't quit until someone else hires you)

If it involves a contract, it's probably a question for an attorney. The 'quit with am months notice' contract probably should also be looked at. Generally, as a free lancer it is better to have the client sign your contract with your terms and conditions than vice versa. Mainly because it can be more or less standard to the industry for the services you provide whereas the client may adapt a contract used to buy coal to govern the delivery of software.

Good luck.

Is the second job "official"? Here in Brazil, no office rule can force you to disclosure to your employeers of other gigs (unless you work for government). Here, you sell 8 hours of your day and what you do in the free time is up to you (neither a NDA can change this).

No its not official, am pretty certain though that here in the UK they can fire you and even get you to the court if they have proof that you work for someone else.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com