Freelancing from Your Desk

Opinions on this differ, but it's generally a good thing when employees take on side work. Why? Because that allows them to gain extra experience, which makes them more valuable to the company in the long term.

Of course, there are important rules that must be followed. The two big no-no's of freelance work are: 1) Never on company time,  and 2) Never for a direct competitor. It's also essential to disclose outside projects to your boss, before you accept them. (Many companies have rules in place that may limit your ability to accept outside work.)

 

Other than that, I don't see what's so terrible about coming in early or staying late to juggle a busy schedule, or using the company computer to pick up some extra cash. The best thing about freelancing is that it allows employees to seek new challenges and flex their creative muscles in ways that differ from their day-to-day assignments. A perfect example of this is in the ever-expanding world of graphic design, where freelance work is prevalent.

Say you spend your days designing a website for some big corporation. This pays the bills, but it may not sooth the psyche. So you pick up some extra work creating wedding invitations or designing posters for rock concerts. That extra work, which is not costing your company anything, may be what's neccessary to keep you happy and balanced, both creatively and financially (you're not doing that work for free).

Rory Keohane, the president of Lumen Eclipse, a graphic design studio in Cambridge, Massachusetts, encourages his designers to take on outside projects. "In a creative industry, having side projects informs the development of their style and increases their value, both to our company and our clients," Keohane said. "Allowing them to pursue creative outlets shows that you respect your employees, and they in turn will respect you."

Respect is a key concept here. If you're sneaking around or double-dipping on company time, you've broken that trust.