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    Manager flips out on employee after they talk about their 'side project' with their coworkers

    Should you be allowed to talk about your side hustle at work?

    In this economy, lots of people are turning to side hustles to fill out their bank accounts. Or maybe you have a passion project that you want to spend your time and energy on. Either way, it's a common thing that you should be allowed to have. But just because you're allowed to have that doesn't mean that other people aren't going to try to stop you from enjoying it. For example, maybe you're working on a book during nights and weekends, and you want to talk to your coworkers about it at lunch. Should that be allowed? Or is that taking away from company time?

    The best managers know how to encourage their employees without clipping their wings. They cheer them on from the sidelines while keeping them on task. Sure, you don't want them losing focus on the job at hand, but you also know that they are people with full lives who need to be treated as such. We all have lives outside of work, and we should not pretend like they don't exist. That would only be doing a disservice to ourselves. But what are the boundaries around talking about your outside project at work? Should your manager get to swoop in and tell you what's appropriate and what isn't?

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    • A nurse holds a tablet in her hand while at work
      via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

      Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    • The person in this story learned the hard way that their manager wasn't going to support them holistically. What they thought was an innocent conversation turned into a tough one, one that gave the employee a lot of insight about their workplace. You want to feel yourself at work, and like you can talk about the things you want to talk about. You don't want to feel like you're walking on eggshells, hoping you don't offend anyone, and thus losing yourself in the process. That's the conundrum this person found themselves in when at work. They weren't sure whether they were crossing a line or if their manager was. Keep on scrolling to find out what happened here and see what you think about it.

    • My manager freaked out on me because of my side project.

      So I've been working on this side project for a while now, basically a platform where healthcare workers can anonymously share pay, working conditions, real experiences at their facilities. Think Glassdoor but actually built for healthcare workers.
      via Silver_Ad4449
    • I was telling a coworker about it on the floor, just explaining how you can look up a facility and see what people are actually making there, what the staffing ratios are really like, that kind of thing. My manager happened to walk by right around the time I was explaining how anyone can post anonymous reviews about their workplace.
      via Silver_Ad4449
    • She. Lost. It. Didn't even fully understand what it was yet and was already spiraling. Started asking who else knows about it, if I'd shared it with anyone on the unit, the whole interrogation. You could literally see the panic set in once she realized the concept - that nurses could just openly talk about what's really going on at their jobs.
      via Silver_Ad4449
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    • Like ma'am... if the transparency scares you that much, maybe that says more about this place than it does about me lol Anyway now I'm half wondering if I should watch my back. You guys think I'm about to get fired over a side project?
      via Silver_Ad4449
    • Has anyone else dealt with management getting weird when you talk about pay or conditions openly? Curious if this is just my workplace or if it's everywhere.
      via Silver_Ad4449
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    • Commenters gave their takes on the situation.

      loadnurmom Will there be retaliation? Very likely IMO (not guaranteed) Make sure you do not do any of the work during work hours. Even asking for feedback from coworkers on the clock puts you in a precarious position. They
      via loadnurmom
    • could claim ownership of the entire project if you spend any work hours on it. Same goes for any work equipment. Do not use a work account, laptop, phone, thumb drive, nothing from your office should be used for the project.
      via loadnurmom
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    • A boss talks to his female employee at her desk
      via Vitaly Gariev

      Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

    • Because you shared information about your project to a coworker, there is room to interpret a termination as being outside of NLRB regulations on discussion of salary. Regardless of what the web page is used for, it is an outside project not directly related to or impacting your daily duties.
      via loadnurmom
    • ohhoney_blessher Your manager is fr king out because this is how unions start.
      via ohhoney_blessher
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    • FluxD1 I once brought in my 3D printer to make a couple pieces for work. I got written up by my boss for showing more enthusiasm about the 3D Printer than I did my job. Not that my performance was sliding, or I was neglecting other duties. I was too happy about a 3D Printer.
      via FluxD1
    • capnozlojo Can you share this project with me? I work in healthcare and I think this is a great idea!
      via capnozlojo
    • papastvinatl I'm sorry you had to learn this lesson. I learned it 16 years ago. ( absolutely horrible) Don't talk about your side projects at work. Even w your work, bestie. Keep those two worlds separate.
      via papastvinatl
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    • mxrw Yeah don't talk about this at work. Once it's done, sharing it with coworkers only during official breaks would be smart as in "Check out this cool thing I found" not "built." You will probably get retaliation since your manager knows. If not it's absolutely being documented.
      via mxrw
    • quast_64 And if there is retaliation you can post about it on your app... see how quickly workforce applicants stay away.
      via quast_64
    • superbigscratch If I were in your position I would start thinking about a price for this side project. Suppose google thinks it's a good idea and wants to buy it. What is your price? When management comes around you quote them the sale price. Consider that this will affect the entire healthcare industry and not just your facility. So your name may be on a list everywhere.
      via superbigscratch
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    • Cry_in_the_show... Can you design it to work for gyms and trainers too? Believe it or not, we are technically Healthcare facilities too, and we're getting hosed by corporate.
      via Cry_in_the_show
    • SchizoidRainbow Friend it's illegal for them to suppress your right to discuss your wages. Report her to BoL immediately. Dont wait for another, if this isn't the first time you report her, the next time will I be. Let it begin, do yourself and OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY a solid, and drag her into the light.
      via SchizoidRainbow
    • DrKittyLovah I am a former healthcare- adjacent worker (hospital- based psychologist) and I shared info about your app on my social media. I worked very closely with nurses in my career & I have several in my family & friend group so I totally believe in what you're doing here. Best of luck, I hope you get rewarded handsomely.
      via DrKittyLovah
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    • Lunakittycat Be very careful. Does your contract allow you to have an undisclosed second job or business? I work in the admin side of the health industry and my contract states that I have to disclose second jobs, business or associations that could be a conflict of interest.
      via Lunakittycat
    • nikkibic What does your contract say. Some employers have a clause you must let them know of other employment in case if competing interests. Not sure if this covers personal projects, tho if income is generated, might be considered employment
      via nikkibic
    • anarcho-lelouchi... One of your manager's duties is to keep workers uninformed, powerless, and unorganized. Anything that smells like workers rights gets them frothing at the mouth. Best of luck with your project!
      via anarcho-lelouchi
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    • Lynx3145 dont even claim its yours. I found this site that... this kind of thing has been around to rate your teachers and professors for decades.
      via Lynx3145
    • Key_Competition_... It's everywhere. Modern society only functions as it does because of a lack of transparency and action.
      via Key_Competition_

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