ultimatum from employer

[mikebox]

What is the name of your state? DC

Hello,

I have been employed with a certain company for 4 years doing web sites. I began working on some other web sites for fun in my own time after work. The web sites are completely unrelated to any work I have done with my current company. The web sites started to get a little traffic and I told my employer about them and asked if I could use their advertisers on my sites. They agreed to this verbally, then I received an email welcoming me into their network. After a month the web sites started to make a fairly decent amount of money. My employer then told me that I am now in conflict of interest. They presented me with a proposal, which was give us your web sites or we won't be able to work together any more.

As it stands, they currently owe me money for what has been generated from the web sites.

What are my options in this case? Thank you very much.

 

[Zigner]

Seems to me that you can either give them the web sites, or seek other employment...

 

[CraigFL]

As an employer, this is the situation as I see it:

1. You developed websites during your employment as a result of your direct experience gained from your employer.
2. You've mixed your outside employment with your present employment even further by using their advertisers on your websites.
3. You now are earning money for the same job that you are being paid for at your present company.
4. It also 'seems' that some of your so called outside work may even have been done on company time.

While the request to turn over your sites may seem unreasonable to you, it may be just a way for the employer to get you to make up your mind as to who you are really working for.