Not allowed to pay my bills???

Can anyone tell me if its Lawful for my Employer to FORBID me to ubtain a part-time job?  I work 40 hours Mon - Fri   From 8am to 5pm as a Bookkeeper...  I wish to take on some side work to help me pay my bills. the Part time work would be Thursday from 6pm to 8pm  Saturday & Sunday 10am to 2pm. I would be TEACHING a business owner how to do payroll, and how to operate a Bookkeeping program. 

And my final question is can my Employer FIRE me for taking on this part-time job...

Yes, it is all legal, because there is no law making it illegal.

What is he concerned about?  Can you allay his fears any?

Your employer can fire you for taking a part time job.

Can you be more specific..... &nb... I just dont understand how that is possiable?  My hours working for him and his company are his business...  But please explain to me how  My time after work hours is his business as well.

I dont see how that is possiable.  ... My time working for him and his company is his business...  How is it that  After hours time and weekends are his business too?

The employer can fire you if you don't have any right to continued employment.  Unless you have a contract for your employment, you are an "at will" employee.  At will employment can be terminated at any time by either party, for any reason not prohibited by law.  As to the employer, it can't terminate you because of a reason that triggers unlawful discrimination (age, race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, etc), retaliation for exercising legal rights, and that's about it.  The employer can terminate you for wearing blue, or because Farve is a Viking, or because of that Balloon Boy fiasco.

A very few states have protections for your completely personal life.  Check your state's department of labor website.

I agree--your employer can fire you for not wearing green socks --so unless the employer is  so dumb as to say you can only have straight black female outside clients or some  offensive profile stuff  the employer can pretty much say no outside work!

You need to go have a talk and see if you can get some latitude.

Lets look at a different view --the employer is self insured for liberal medical plan---office worker moonlights as tree trimmer for "cash" . Tree trimmer falls out of tree, now  with 6 fractures --want to guess whose insurance cost just took a major hit? 

Employer says "yes" to women who moonlight--"no" to men--now what?   Its plain easier to say 'no"

What part of this did you not understand?

"Yes, it is all legal, because there is no law making it illegal."

Well for one thing, if you teach others how to do things outside of work then there are fewer potential clients.

My wife works for a bookkeeper, but he doesn't care, so she has done some outside work for other organizations...your boss does care.

I know several local contractors that don't mind if their guys take side jobs on the weekend, but there are others that see that eating into their profits.

Go work for someone who sees it differently, or deliver pizzas instead..

You can always try to get a part tim job doing something else besides bookkeeping. I know times are hard but you could look for a part time job in retail or pizza dilvery driver, etc...

Then don't tell your boss that you are working part time.

Creeksidesharky:

I would be TEACHING a business owner how to do payroll, and how to operate a Bookkeeping program.

What methods would you be teaching the second employer?  The ones you've learned from your current employer? 

The reasons why only he could answer.  But the first reason I would come up with is that maybe he wants to be ensured that his internal procedures aren't being leaked.  Incidentals could include maybe he doesn't want you moonlighting with a "competitor;" maybe he doesn't want to risk losing you as an employee to someone else; maybe only he provides health coverage, and doesn't want to pay the price if you can't handle both jobs; maybe he doesn't want your productivity to lessen; maybe he wants to be certain that your paycheck from him isn't covering time on his property to finish assignments for a second employer (e.g., using copiers, fax machines, telephones, company supply, etc.).

Perhaps he considers it conflict of interest.  Have you asked him?