Is work being too nosey?

[stressystressed]

I work for an organisation that is within a county council.
Many of us work part time.
We have been told we have to submit a "Conflict of Interest" form for any similar work we do outside of our county council job.
So imagine…you are a sports teacher, and go round different schools teaching PE lessons. You are employed by the county council education team part time, and also on a self employed basis to private schools.
To me, it feels too nosey. Why should I have to tell the county council what I do when I'm not working for them? Or AIBU?

There should be a clear conflict of interest policy that you are required to read in addition to making a declaration. If you read it it might be clearer why. I work in the charity sector and this is a standard requirement for us and our auditors would question if we didn’t do it.

No. They don't give a shit where you work as long as there's no conflict of interest. You're placing too high an importance on yourself

This was usual back in 2004 when I started a council role.

Standard in the NHS. I have to declare any other jobs.

My current and previous jobs have been in the 3rd sector, and it's standard for us, too.

You are massively over-estimating how interesting your employer finds you. They don't have any personal interest in your life whatsoever - they really couldn't give a shit. It's purely a routine declaration in case there's a conflict of interest. It's really normal - I had to do the same in my previous public sector jobs.

I've recently had to sign my annual disclaimer of conflict of interest/potential corruption (!) form for the school I work at. I also tutor, (but cannot tutor any student, or family member thereof, from the school and have to confirm this is true) I also work for a private company organising English study holidays in the summer months and have to declare that too.
All very normal and understandable. The HT doesn't give two hoots that I'm tutoring child X on a Tuesday or why, she just needs to know I'm not in the house of one of our kids taking money from that child's parent. Obviously.

My guess would be the policy was that you always had to declare but they have only chased budget holders/board members etc to this point. Someone will have done an audit, realised they should have been doing it for everyone and hence you've been asked now but not before.

We had to do an annual declaration at all my previous places of work (public and private sector, regulated industry), with an additional declaration if anything changed during the year.

I am a teacher. I also do a bit of paid admin for my brother's roofing company. We fill in a conflict of interest form every year. If my brother's company was employed to repair the roof at my school, it would need to be shown that my association with his company was public knowledge, and I wasn't using my access to the caretaker to secretly give my brother an unfair advantage over his competitors

Normal

I'm a TA ..part time in a school
We are asked this too ..we had to fill in a form and sign !!!!!

Standard in the banking section, all sectors I would imagine. It's not about being nosey!?

What job is you are doing you think they'd be nosey about? MI5?

I’m surprised a county council has only just done this. I’ve worked in local govt for nearly 30 years and it’s always been standard practice even for really junior positions.

Of course it isn't. Some Council's require you to get permission for second jobs so of course they have a right to ask you about outside interests.

Pretty normal in lots of areas of the private sector too. “Nosey” is a weird way to think about it, it’s information the organisation needs to keep on file to avoid conflicts, there’s not a person going through the forms saying “Oooh you’ll never guess what Stressy does on her days off!”

Totally normal. Conflict of interest, protecting intellectual property and working time directive (ensuring you're getting proper rest breaks across the week) The only surprising thing is that it's been so long as you (and presumably your colleagues) appear to be unaware.

Your contract of employment will state whether or not you are entitled to engage in other work.

We have staff that work outside their normal job eg PE teachers that referee professionally. We do not ask for details.

Very lax of the County Council not to have asked you ages ago.

Of course it's not nosey. It's a requirement to ensure organisations operate appropriately and without favour or discrimination. Nobody is looking at their employees forms going 'Ooh, look, they also run five a side on a Tuesday night!'

You're saying 'nosey' like you think they might be interested in you personally.

Do you think HR staff sit around the staff room at lunchtime, discussing your private life while munching their cheese sandwiches? 😂

Yes my contract says this, however we don't get asked to actually declare anything but this is usual in council/NHS etc.

@stressystressed

no it’s not nosy. Not even a little bit

councillors have to declare pecuniary interests, staff have to declare if they are discussing something that maybe of benefit to them

they are simply asking you to list what other occupations you have that may be influenced by your role at the council

its to protect both you and the council from charges of corruption, influencing etc

its a long standing thing your council is just getting round to implement

We've had to do a declaration in my job for the last 10 years. It's pretty standard.

Perfectly normal, not nosey.
When you work for the police as an officer or a civilian you have to advise notifiable associations. So if your sibling started dating someone known to the police and you would see them regularly you would have to advise the relationship.

Police have to declare business interests too!

You don’t have an Only Fans account do you OP?