Getting some on the side

May 13, 2010 12:58 PM

What's the best way to reassure my boss about my various part-time freelance projects?

I work full-time at a great, very small firm where I am a key employee and see myself there long-term. One of the reasons for this is that my job gives me enough time to pursue other projects. I have recently started to ramp up my freelance part-time activities (in a number of non-competing, although related fields) and part of that includes marketing myself more aggressively, including creating a personal web site and some limited advertising.

I am not so much worried about asking formal permission but more of how to let my boss know while reassuring him that I still see my future with the company. Have you done something similar and how did it work out? Are there any other risks I am not thinking through here? My main goal is to be able to relax about my freelance gigs while not changing the solidity of my position at my current company in any way. Thanks!

posted by the foreground to work & money (12 answers total)

Did you sign any kind of contract about doing side work? If not then why would you have to reassure your boss? As long as what you need to do for your main job is done, what you do on your time is your business.
posted by mokeydraws at 1:08 PM on May 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

I followed a different course of action to pursue freelance (I just jumped ship and pursued it fulltime) - however if you are going to do the work as a freelancer plus work as a fulltime employee, I would highly suggest that you don't log on at work to update your freelance webpage, answer client emails on the computers of your workplace, etc.

To be honest, just give all of your worktime to your current employer. Do freelance on off-hours (or get a non workphone that is capable of email to answer client emails during work). Don't discuss any of this with your boss. If you devote your worktime to work and complete projects as requested, why would it be an issue?
posted by Wolfster at 1:10 PM on May 13, 2010

It's probably not the technical or legal definition of "competition" that your bosses will care about, but rather the assumed dividing of your time/energy/loyalties that's making them uneasy. My hunch is that they're right to be concerned, since sooner or later, you will probably need to choose between these two careers, and they may know that, even if you don't realize it yet.

I mean, you're "marketing [yourself] more aggressively" for freelance work while at the same time wishing to plan a long-term future with your employer? How are these compatible? What will you do if you receive enough freelance work to earn twice as much as your current job? What will you do if you are so successful at marketing yourself that your own work will clearly be more successful/lucrative than your employment? Will you really remain at your current employment even when it's costing you money to do so? If you can answer those questions honestly, to yourself, I think you'll be more in-tune with your bosses' likely concerns.

The downside that is probably nagging at your bosses is that this job with them is just your backup plan. And, again, it's very easy to interpret "marketing [yourself] more aggressively" for freelance work that way.

In my experience, even with the best intentions, sooner or later it becomes clear that a man can't really serve two masters.

Your bosses probably want you to choose one. And that'd be my advice, too.
posted by rokusan at 1:16 PM on May 13, 2010 [2 favorites]

He needs to know a few things:

1. That your outside work will not affect your performance at this job (ie coming in tired from working all those other hours.)

2. That this job will take priority over the other in terms of scheduling.

3. That you will not be doing that other work on this company time.

If he is confident of all of the above, you won't present as someone who is about to jump ship. If any of the above do start to happen, you will surely look like someone with one foot out the door, and the company will not see you as someone is going to be around for long.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 1:17 PM on May 13, 2010

thanks rokusan, awesome answer.

the assumed dividing of your time/energy/loyalties that's making them uneasy.

Yes, this is exactly what I was concerned about. Not the technical issue of whether I can do it.

I mean, you're "marketing [yourself] more aggressively" for freelance work while at the same time wishing to plan a long-term future with your employer?

By long-term I meant maybe 5-7 years, not until retirement neccesarily...although I'd like to keep the option open.

How are these compatible?

Sorry, I should have also added, I am 25, unattached and have a lot of free time outside of regular work hours and am willing to utilize it.

In my experience, even with the best intentions, sooner or later it becomes clear that a man can't really serve two masters.

I totally see your point, but I guess my reply would be if I can boost my income with freelance gigs for the next 10 years or so without upsetting the water I would want to do that...I take it from your reply my employer may nots ee it that way though. Good food for thought!
posted by the foreground at 1:24 PM on May 13, 2010

This would depend on the field, I think. In many law firms, for instance, there is a strong feeling that all of your time belongs to them. (The only reasons they permit sleep is because it makes you more efficient and doesn't take place on a regular basis.) If you are in a field or company like that, you're going to have trouble, and I'd think it would help you more to try for a rainmaker agreement where you surrender part of the outside income for your guaranteed salary. If you are on wage, rather than salary, give them your eight hours and losing you is their worry.
posted by Some1 at 1:27 PM on May 13, 2010

He'll never be reassured unless he's a complete idiot. And if he hasn't already come up with a contingency plan for your departure, he must be a real moron.

I doubt he's that dumb.

It sounds mostly like you are packing one heck of a parachute by dividing your time (fear of failure on your part? No idea). He's probably watching you pack that parachute and wondering:

1. How much this is going to affect him, worst case
2. How many others have noticed, and how you're affecting others at the company, or customers
3. How much of an idiot you think he is, if you're going to try to reassure him of anything
4. How fast a lawyer can whip up a non-compete or similar agreement
5. What company resources you're using for side business

He might be a smiley, friendly guy, but believe me, bosses are automatically granted these deductive powers the moment they don their mantle.

He might procrastinate, in which case all of the above is still true; he'll just have his feelings hurt more.

Hope this info doesn't sting too bad. It's just that there's always been an uncomfortable tension between established business and hatchlings like yours.
posted by circular at 1:29 PM on May 13, 2010 [2 favorites]

I've been doing this going on three years now. I've just been totally casual and upfront about it and nobody minds; co-workers have even steered clients to me. After all, if I planned to quit my job and freelance full time I hardly would have told my boss about the freelancing.

A ton of people I know have fulltime jobs and freelance and the only time I have ever heard of it being an issue for the employer was when applying for a job at a company that was so big and had so many different lines of business that the issue of "competing" became a problem, and even then the company tried pretty hard to make it work out (although in the end it didn't). Your own experience will probably depend on your workplace culture and line of work, but even large companies in my experience have been surprisingly cool with it.
posted by phoenixy at 1:45 PM on May 13, 2010

In my field (web design) it's almost expected that you're doing freelance outside of your normal desk job. As long as you don't poach or target their clients and don't take any freelance calls/emails/meetings when you're expected to be doing your primary job, I don't see a problem. I wouldn't even mention it to your boss, and if it does come up in a more than casual way, explain that it will never interfere with your full-time position, is not in direct competition with your company, and you're not planning on leaving.
posted by lychee at 1:56 PM on May 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

It would be quite helpful to know a little bit about your field and your freelancing. I've worked in computer programming, and there's very often an issue of "Anything you create is owned by us." If you field is/is like that, you should check your contract and your relevant HR documentation (employee handbook, etc.) (hereafter "contract"). You don't want to build something terrific and then have your full-time employer go after you for it. Or after your clients.

If your contract says something onerous about outside-of-work activities, you need to discuss that with your employer. This means renegotiating, if you can and they will. If your contract says nothing about the matter, you've got two courses of action (that I can see, IANAL):

* Say nothing and nothing might happen. But something might happen, and then you might have to pay to make things clear (lawyers, court fees, etc.). This is a personal trust issue. Making this call depends on a thousand little things having to do with your full-time job.
* Say something. Which usually involves getting a little bit of lawyering done so you and your employer can sign something that draws up boundaries fairly for all concerned. Personally, this is my preferred option. I like people knowing where they stand, and I (generally) like having business relationships formalized with nice pieces of paper.


Finally, nthing the concept of keeping things separated. Good luck with the freelancing!
posted by aureliobuendia at 4:29 PM on May 13, 2010

It would be quite helpful to know a little bit about your field and your freelancing.

Full time gig is marketing/communications. The freelance work I intend to engage in is more on the freelance writing/editing side, although some of that could technically overlap with my full-time job's realm of business. I would be particularly careful not to step on any toes as far as similar business opportunities go. the main thing is managing my boss' psychological reaction (mentioned up thread) to the idea of me seeking extra work in general, I suppose. Still on the fence as to whether to say something or not. I live in a large metro area so it's quite possible my boss would never notice anything related to it. There's no formal on informal non-compete agreement or anything like that at play.
posted by the foreground at 7:29 PM on May 13, 2010

0) Read all the paperwork you signed when you were hired. Make sure that you can do outside work and what the restrictions are, if any.

1) Hit all of your day-job deadlines/performance expectations/whatever. No calling in sick or coming in late/leaving early. Be the most reliable person in the office.

2) Don't spend a minute of company time on outside work. Don't check your email, don't answer the phone, don't doodle something about an outside project, don't even think about it at all when you're on their dime.

3) Don't talk about it at work or with coworkers. Don't tell your boss. It's Fight Club.

4) Don't work for anyone who could possibly also in any way work with your company. The one exception would be if you're going to bring a new client to your day job.

Unfortunately some of these things aren't terribly compatible with being a great freelancer.

How about sounding your boss out: "Hiya Boss. Say, how would you feel if I did some outside work in a completely unrelated field? You'd hate it? Good to know. No, that was it, that was all I wanted to ask. Have a good day."
posted by Ookseer at 1:34 AM on May 14, 2010