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ARTICLE · 16 NOVEMBER 2018

Competing considerations: An employee and her hobby business

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Employ­ers are enti­tled to expect employ­ees to devote their ​"full time and atten­tion" in work hours to their duties.

AustraliaEmployment and HR
Michael Byrnes
Michael Byrnes
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In the current age where any organisation, irrespective of size, can advertise to the world through the internet, the barriers to entry for ​"micro" or ​"hobby" businesses are lower than ever. Increasingly, employees are showing their ingenuity and entrepreneurship by setting up their own hobby businesses to the side of their main employment. Some of these businesses even leverage the skills and experience that the employee may gain during the course of their employment. (Of course, they should never use the confidential information of the employer – another topic for a different day.)

While many employers are happy to accommodate an employee's side business, provided it doesn't compete with their own operations, there can sometimes be a conflict between the two.

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Michael Byrnes, Partner
Phone: + 61 2 9233 5544
Email: [email protected]

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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