exclusivity required in a part-time job? Is my company BU?

[cress1da]

There is lots of discussion about how unfair it is to expect zero hours workers to limit themselves to working for only one company.

But I wonder what people think about part-time workers?

I recently started a part-time job. The company is explicit that workers must not work in their other hours for any of the firm's competitors, even though it's quite a specialised field, so difficult to use the skills you need for the job outside of that field.

In effect, that means it's quite hard for me to work in my free hours. But I'm only being paid for 2.5 days a week.

I'd like to work for the rest of the week. But would rather not go behind my employer's back.

Is this kind of exclusion normal in part-time work? Or is my company BU?

I can understand why they wouldn't want you working for competitors tbh as it would be a conflict of interest even though it seems unfair.

The only thing you could do would be to look for a full time job elsewhere in your field, or ask your employer if you could do extra hours.

Its very normal to be asked not to work for a competitor yes. It's not normal to be asked to not work at all outside your part time hours.

Most organisations I know would have clauses around not working for competitors specifically. I can't even talk to our competitors without getting it signed off by legal, so working is definitely not on the cards, whatever your hours.

Ours would generally allow a "second job", providing you have informed us of it. For second jobs our only other clause is that it must not interfere with your ability to fulfil your contract with us, which may include a reasonable amount of overtime at short notice.

Open a ltd company, and work for the second company as a contractor?

Not trying to out you, but if what you do is specialised, why can't you go and work in a pub or shop or restaurant when you're not working for your employer?

Or do you live somewhere where the only employers are the in the same specialist field?

the company isnt being unreasonable there compettitors and its kind of normal

Agree that it's not unusual. Worried you will take clients elsewhere I presume.

Normal and reasonable
Say you were full time, you could still do project work for a rival company. They have to ban it for part timers too.

What lingo said. Open your own consultancy.

I never sign the exclusivity deals. I always ask for them to be removed and they always are. I am happy to agree not to work for competitors simultaneously, provided they give me a list of the relevant competitors (I might work for an up or downstream supplier of a competitor).