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Side activities employee

An employee who carries out side activities alongside their work can add value to your organisation, but how can you be sure it adds value? It is important information that you want to know. We explain how it works and how we can check it for you.

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What are side activities?

Side activities are activities or work you carry out in addition to your current job. There is no ban on sideline activities, but it is important to declare it properly to the employer because of conflicts of interest.

Why is it important to know employees’ side activities?

Side activities bring multiple benefits, such as diversity, your employees’ satisfaction, experience, knowledge and a network. Despite the many advantages, it can also bring disadvantages. Here is a brief overview:

In conflict with your service:
For example, if the employee holds a financial position and that person is also treasurer at a football club, he has access to your cash flow. In this case, the risk of financial abuse can be increased.

Less flexibility:
If a secondary activity takes a lot of time to carry out, this can cause less flexibility and availability on the part of the employee. Also, this can cause the employee, for example, to miss important deadlines or have reduced productivity and focus at work.

Violation of labour laws:
If your side business takes too many hours in addition to your normal job, it can result in violating labour laws by exceeding the maximum permitted working hours. Legal disputes may arise as a result, as it violates health and safety risks.

Ban on side activities

Since 2022, the Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Act has been in force. This law means that a ban on side activities is not allowed unless there is an objective justification. This is secured in the legislation to ensure that there is enough work for everyone and a meaningful fulfilment of life is possible.
Some examples of reasons te deviate from this are:

Competition with your business

If the employee performs a secondary activity that competes with the employer’s work, this may lead to a conflict. The employee is not supposed to adopt certain strategies or customers of the employer in order to gain a better position in the market himself.

Violation of laws under the law

The employer may invoke these side activities laws if, for example, the Working Hours Act is violated, if safety regulations are violated or if the protection of confidentiality, business information and integrity is compromised.

Reputational damage

If a side activity conflicts with your organisation’s reputation or core values, it can cause reputational damage.

Screening in the software and telecom sector

Duty of disclosure on side activities

Despite it being mandatory to disclose your side activities, some people still deliberately withhold certain things. It is therefore wise to do a check on this, so that as an employer you can be sure you have your affairs in order.

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Screening employees with Validata

Besides side activities, it is important to screen for other important issues. For example, consider verifying education and work experience. Validata is the market leader in employment screening and is happy to help you with this!

  • Turnaround time: By working with multiple integrations and partners, we always ensure a short turnaround time for checks.
  • Service: Our Support department is always ready to answer questions from your organisation and candidates.
  • GDPR proof: Compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is central to Validata, ensuring the protection of our customers’ privacy and personal data.

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