Hypothetically speaking: Let's say a fellow by the name of "gpard" has a boss who has asked him to do some work outside of the scope of his duties. The work involves helping the boss with a secondary project (company) he has outside the current company. He requires IT help and tells you to do it. Should gpard accept this or charge his boss money? He is being told to do the work on company time, and not during his own hours. However, the work has nothing to do with the company for which he works, but a secondary company that the boss is involved in (and probably too cheap to hire someone to do it for him). Thoughts?
If he's signing the checks, I'd probably just do it. We don't need a bunch of threads from you about how the job market sucks.
Yes boss is an owner and company is very, very, very small. (The entire company could fit in a big SUV)
Not being afraid of unemployment myself, it would depend entirely on how I like the guy. If I liked him, I'd do it without complaint. If I didn't like him, I'd charge him for it. This is assuming there is no other angle here -- like he'll make you his senior vice president of something or other when he does his new company fulltime.
Let's just say this isn't anywhere CLOSE to the first time. That's why I brought it up. It's a regular occurence, and not just with his other company... but with personal errands as well (for his personal life). But I do like the guy and we get along great. I just get the feeling he's using me and it eats me up to sit back and just take it with a smile on my face.
And I'm not the only one he does it too. He also treats "my underlings" in the same manner. They have never openly complained (not even to me). I don't know if they don't realize it, just don't care, or are too afraid to speak up (though I'm pretty sure they would tell me).
Do you have to work longer hours becase of this? I can see this being an issue if it regularly keeps you at work late.
Working for a consulting-firm "conflict-of-interest" is drilled in your head from day one....I would make SURE to do one thing--CYA: Cover Your Ass
Remind him that in the book "The Firm" that it was the billable hours fraud that brought the company down...
The guy is "an" owner? That gets a little stickier. Your labors should benefit all the owners who are effectively compensating you. Otherwise the one owner is taking money out of his partner's pocket and putting it in his. I think we call that stealing.
