Conflict of Interest in New Job Selling Cookware: Advice Needed

[mhdawson]

I just recently got a new job in a store that sells many things within the store but they also sell cookware. I work in an area that is not related at all to the housewares/Kitchenwares department. However, I have been informed that this is a conflict of interest. Has anyone come across this issue before? Any advice would be great! I would hate to have to give up my PC Business but I may have too because PC is a side thing for me and I have to work!

 

[legacypc46]

Have you been officially told this...or is this a co-worker's or supervisor's speculation?

 

[Teresa Lynn]

Who told you it was a conflict??
Another PC person.... if so, I would say they might want to nudge you our of PC. If it was the store I'd think thye were out of line unless you wear PC shirts or promote it in the break room

 

[sailortena]

Maybe just not promote your business at work. That's probably what they consider the conflict of interest.Because once you are off the clock, what you do is YOUR business, not theirs.

 

[ShanaSmith]

It is not a conflict for PC, so it would depend if your company has a written policy.

 

[SnowChef]

I worked at a large dept store before I sold PC, and we were told that we could not bring party catalogs into the breakroom to sell items that the store also sold. You could personally invite co-workers to a show, I would just not post a flyer.

 

[jlevernier]

Last holiday season I picked up a job at Williams Sonoma, my hiring boss knew I sold P. Chef even tho I didn't mention it in the interview. I felt it was a TERRIFIC learning experience!

There is something about ringing up a $900 set of knives or pans to make one feel VERY comfortable selling our products. It was real easy for me to tell a customer that Microplane puts out a good product. Even tho theirs was a different style, I was familiar with the company.

What was cool to see was the items that were identical and ours were less expensive.

The hardest thing I did was when a customer came up to me (I was on the cash register). She was running her finger over the blades of their apple wedger! She wanted to know if it would stay sharp. Said she had bought many at department stores that never stayed sharp. Of course I told her I thought it would "stay as sharp as it is now". I have learned how to place ours in the dishwasher with the blade down so I don't knick myself on the sharpness.

--Jenny L

 

[Shawnna]

It is not a conflict of interest unless you are trying to promote PC while on their time. What you do after hours is none of their business.

 

[finley1991]

A friend of mine worked for a company here that felt it was a conflict of interest if anyone had any other kind of job outside of the company. The only conflict of interest was on the companies part! They wanted to be sure that people could work overtime at the drop of a hat. Not sure how that was legal but sometimes when you need a job, what can you do?

One place I worked in my pre-PC life, I was taking a class once a week to improve my business skills... EVERY Wednesday, my bosses would do whatever it took to make me work late so that I would be late to class and/or miss it all together. Nice, eh? They didn't like that I would improve myself and possibly leave. Of course, I ended up leaving anyway.