Brand Management: Work on the Side

There may be a time during your career in which you need to earn extra money. A second job may be a good solution to boost your income.  Consider how this second job can impact your brand. Of equal importance is how your employer will view your “work on the side?”  Think carefully before accepting a second job.

1.) Review Your Employee Policy or Employee Contract

Review your employee policy handbook and any employee contract that you have signed.  Common language in your employee policy or employee contract may read like this:

“Employees shall not accept employment with, act, or render services to, any business or endeavor, with or without compensation, which competes with or conducts business with the Company. In order to ensure that any outside employment does not conflict with the Company’s interests, you must disclose your outside employment to Human Resources and your Manager before you begin any outside employment.”

In this case, you are restricted and must follow the agreement. Moonlighting and going against the agreement can jeopardize your employment and your reputation.

2.) Asking for Approval

Your employer has the power to grant or deny your approval to hold a second job, even though you perform the second job on your personal time. There are several reasons for the prior approval:

•        To ensure the second job does not conflict with the first job.
•        To ensure the second job does not offend the employer’s customers.
•        To ensure the employee will have the capacity to perform the duties of the first job.
•        To ensure the second job will not be a distraction to the first job. 

Present your plan upfront to increase your chances of approval.  Put your manager at ease that you will not do the work of your second job during the hours of the first job. Explain the type of job so the employer is comfortable that the second job will not tarnish the company’s brand. If this is only a short-term or seasonal position, let your manager know the length of the position. This does not guarantee that you will get approval. However, it will increase your odds.

3.) Choosing the Right Job

The web is filled with fraudulent part-time job opportunities.  Be careful to avoid scams.  Never share your social security number and banking information when applying for a job.  Jobs that require a financial investment for training or other materials could be a scam targeting people desperate for a second income. 

Take care to avoid your primary employer’s competitors. Also, avoid positions that may pose ethical issues or that are not aligned with your primary employer’s values.  Lastly, always protect your professional brand when choosing a job.  A test for whether a job could harm your professional brand is to imagine a senior manager from your company or a top client learning that you work in that job.

The Bottom Line

A second job can be a great solution to supplement your income. Explore your side work options thoroughly and choose a job that is consistent with your professional brand and that of your employer.  Talk to your manager prior to accepting a second job to protect your relationship with your employer.