I recently got a job offer but it contains the troubling clause that any the employee couldn’t engage in any employment, contract or any other business activity without a written consent from the company.
Having a few projects that I do evenings and weekends it seems like a big overreaching by the company to require disclosure of any business activity in order to get permission from them.
Have you guys come across a clause like this before? Is it standard and I’m overreacting? How have you dealt with it?
Thx
If it's concerning I would ask them about it. Find out the reason for the it being there. Another possibility is that there could be one contract that covers both management or principles of the company and normal employees. That language could be there primarily to apply to a managers or principles and not to just average employees.
Asking them about it can determine why it's in the contract and would open the door to the discussion of how you don't feel it applies to the position you're working. This can allow you to edit it out of the contract and see if they agree.
Contracts are not one sided dictations they are a negotiation between two parties of the conditions they've mutually agreed to. I would never work for a company that wanted me to sign an employee contract that did not allow me to make amendments to that contract.