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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Check your signed employment agreement and current workplace policies for rules on outside employment, then confirm whether you must disclose the work, obtain written approval, or do both. If the wording is unclear—or approval is required—ask the designated manager or HR contact and get the decision in writing before you accept or start the second job.
Start with the documents that govern your job
Review your signed employment agreement, the current employee handbook, and any separate policies on outside employment, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, conduct, or intellectual property. Do not assume the handbook is the only relevant document or that silence in one document settles the question.
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Search the documents for terms such as “outside employment,” “other employment,” “moonlighting,” “secondary employment,” “exclusivity,” “approval,” and “disclosure.” Note which kinds of outside work trigger a rule: any outside role, paid work only, or particular activities.
Work out whether notice or approval is required
Read the exact wording and identify whether it requires you to tell the employer, receive permission in advance, or meet both requirements. Also check who is authorized to decide—your manager, HR, compliance, or another named approver—and whether the policy describes how approval can be reviewed or withdrawn.
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These are different obligations. A disclosure requirement means the employer must be informed; an approval requirement means you need permission before proceeding. Do not treat one as a substitute for the other.
Check the proposed job for conflicts and practical overlap
Compare the second job with your primary role before committing. Consider its duties, employer or client, sector, schedule, and expected hours, along with any relationship to your employer’s competitors, clients, suppliers, or regulated entities.
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- Conflicts and divided loyalty: Could the work create an actual, potential, or perceived conflict, bias, or preferential treatment?
- Time and performance: Could the schedule interfere with your contractual obligations, availability, or ability to perform your primary job?
- Information: Would the work risk exposing or misusing confidential or privileged information?
- Resources: Would you use your employer’s working time, equipment, systems, or other resources?
Employers may assess these issues differently, so use the tests in your own agreement and policies rather than assuming another organization’s rules apply.
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Ask the right person before you begin
If the policy requires approval or you cannot tell what it means, contact the named decision-maker before accepting or starting the work. Give a concise written description of the role, employer or client, duties, expected schedule, and any possible overlap with your primary job. Ask whether disclosure or prior approval is required and request the decision in writing. Keep the response and any conditions attached to it.
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This is a practical way to clarify the employer’s process, not a universal legal rule. A conflict assessment does not necessarily mean automatic rejection: possible outcomes can include finding no conflict, excluding you from a conflicting activity, or allowing the work with safeguards. An actual conflict may need to be resolved by removing it. UK Civil Service guidance describes these kinds of assessments and outcomes.
Examples of employer-specific and public-sector rules
The process depends on the employer, role, and jurisdiction. These examples illustrate why you need to check the rules that actually apply to you; none is a general rule for private-sector workers.
UK Civil Service
UK Civil Service guidance tells civil servants to declare relevant outside interests to their line manager before appointment and as soon as they arise afterward. The manager assesses actual, potential, or perceived conflicts and records the consideration and agreed actions.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteOfgem
Ofgem’s policy says: “All staff, including anyone new joining Ofgem, must declare if they have secondary employment or hold any external roles.” Staff must notify their line manager in writing. Ofgem says it may refuse or withdraw permission where it identifies a conflict; its conditions address regulatory responsibilities, contractual obligations, confidential or privileged information, and perceived bias, preferential treatment, or divided loyalty.
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Bank of England
Bank of England policy requires employees to obtain approval for other employment, discuss its impact with their line manager, and seek pre-approval through its compliance system. Approved outside work must not be done during Bank working time or using Bank resources.
US federal employees
Federal requirements can vary by agency and type of work. The U.S. Department of Justice ethics summary says written approval is required for outside employment involving the practice of law or matters related to the responsibilities of the employee’s component. A separate HHS regulation requires prior approval for listed types of outside work, including certain consulting, professional services, duty-related communications, and advisory roles. These agency-specific rules should not be applied to private-sector jobs.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If you cannot find a clear rule
Check the agreement and any separate policies, then ask HR or the designated manager or compliance contact to identify the applicable process. Explain the proposed work and ask whether written disclosure, advance approval, or both are needed before you proceed. A general answer found online cannot determine what your own contract or employer policy requires.
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