The following are commonly asked questions regarding the Outside Employment Policy. Please click on the question to be directed to the relevant policy section.

  1. What is the university’s Outside Employment Policy?
  2. To whom does the outside employment policy apply?
  3. What is the process if a staff member is a director, president, partner, general manager, or executive officer?
  4. What if a staff member has more than one (1) university position?

I. Policy

The University of Puget Sound (the “university”) does not prohibit a staff member’s employment outside of the university. However, outside employment must be handled in such a way as to avoid conflicts of interest.

II. Eligibility and Scope

A staff member holding or considering outside employment, including but not limited to consulting, business, professional, or teaching activities, must disclose outside employment to his or her supervisor to ensure that the outside employment does not create a conflict of interest with the university or interfere with the staff member’s performance of university duties and responsibilities. Additionally, a staff member should not knowingly accept an engagement that is likely to embarrass the university or involve the university in unwarranted controversy.

Failing to disclose outside employment or engaging in outside employment creates a conflict of interest with the university may be grounds for corrective action, including employment termination.

Outside employment will be performed outside of a staff member’s normal work schedule or during a staff member’s approved vacation leave.

University resources (e.g., offices or other facilities, staff, services, and equipment) should not be used to conduct a staff member’s outside employment. A staff member engaged in outside employment activities, with or without compensation, should not use the university's name to suggest institutional endorsement or support of a non-university enterprise and should not use the university's name on stationery, business cards, or promotional literature for such outside activities.

A staff member should conduct any business related to outside employment completely separate from the university. For example, billing should not be done from or payments mailed to a staff member’s university address.

A staff member should make clear, verbally and in writing, to outside employers, clients, consultees, or customers that their outside employment, business, or professional services are independent. No relation of such outside activities to the university should be stated or implied.

When the outside consultation or business activity is of a nature that an element of potential risk or liability is involved, a staff member should carry their own independent professional liability insurance.

III. Directors, President, Partners, General Managers, or Other Executive Officers

If a staff member is a director, president, partner, general manager, or similar executive officer or owns or controls directly or indirectly a substantial interest in any other entity participating in a transaction with the university, a conflict of interest may exist.

IV. More than One University Position

It is unusual for a staff member to be employed by more than one department of the university. Any such arrangement should be coordinated in advance by the appropriate cabinet member in consultation with Human Resources. A full-time staff member may teach a course at the university so long as the course is not offered during the regular workday, does not interfere with a staff member’s regularly scheduled duties, and has the appropriate cabinet member's approval. A staff member who teaches courses outside of the regularly scheduled workday is eligible for compensation for those teaching duties when the teaching duties are related to their normal responsibilities. The Office of the Provost will determine such compensation.

Origination date: 9/1958.
Revised: 1996, 12/2012.