Do I need to inform my employer for taking up part time delivery job?

KinderScout2019

Hi all
Covid has been a difficult time especially with my partner losing her job but life has to go on. I have a permanent job as an engineer, but without my partner income, I have no choice but to take up a part time job for the family. I am thinking to work evening and weekend as delivery for Amazon Flex? Deliveroo? Uber Eat?
Do I need to inform my employer for this? Would my employer know my part time work from the tax code or National insurance? What would happen if I didnt inform and the employer find out?
The delivery job has no conflict with my permanent job as an engineer, but I prefer not to inform because I am a senior team leader in the company, it is a shame if my junior or colleague know I have to work part time for extra income...
Thanks

just check my employment contract, I think it is mandatory to inform the company... I will speak to my manager later this week then...

Your manager will tell you your specific hours of work, any applicable shift patterns and details of meal breaks. Your standard hours of work or shift patterns may vary over time and you must be flexible in your hours of work to meet the varying demands of the business. You will need to work such extra hours as are required to meet business needs.
For the purposes of the Working Time Regulations 1998, normally it is not intended that you will work on average in excess of 48 hours per week. However, should business needs require, you agree to work in excess of an average of 48 hours per week. If you wish to terminate this opt out agreement, you need to tell the Company in writing three months’ in advance. You must also comply with any record keeping and time keeping policies, which the Company may introduce. If you work for another organization outside the XXX Group (with the Company’s permission) you must tell your manager how many hours you are working.

Undervalued

KinderScout2019 said:

Hi all
Covid has been a difficult time especially with my partner losing her job but life has to go on. I have a permanent job as an engineer, but without my partner income, I have no choice but to take up a part time job for the family. I am thinking to work evening and weekend as delivery for Amazon Flex? Deliveroo? Uber Eat?
Do I need to inform my employer for this? Would my employer know my part time work from the tax code or National insurance? What would happen if I didnt inform and the employer find out?
The delivery job has no conflict with my permanent job as an engineer, but I prefer not to inform because I am a senior team leader in the company, it is a shame if my junior or colleague know I have to work part time for extra income...
Thanks

Yes. Most employment contracts require you to do so (it is a fairly standard term). Even it doesn't you owe your employer a duty of good faith. Their permission should not unreasonably be withheld (assuming no conflict of interest or that you were working so many hours you were too tired to do your main job properly etc). 

[Deleted User]

I would think this would depend upon what your contract of employment says about secondary employment.

I would be careful too to ensure you have the correct insurance to cover this sort of driving.  Getting it wrong could mean 6 points, a £300 fine and big insurance bills for years after.

Sandtree

What does your contract state? 
Employers vary massively from wanting to approve all additional jobs you take on to not giving a damn about it. Whilst conflict of interests is one element there are other considerations like employees being too tired as they come straight into the office from a night shift on their second job etc. 

TELLIT01

There is no shame in taking a second job if finances are becoming stretched.  Better than then getting into financial difficulty further down the line.  You do need to check your contract as there is no legal requirement to inform them, but there may be a contractual one.  An employer may be concerned that a second job could result in the ability to do the main job being impaired.  For example, a woman I worked with wanted to take a weekend bar job and our employer told her they would not agree to her working beyond 10pm on Sundays because she may be tired on the Monday morning.  That seems excessive control to me, but contractually it was acceptable.

moneysavinghero

You may think that is has no conflict with your job as senior team lead engineer, but your employer may not be happy having a senior employee turning up tired and making mistakes on the job as a result. This is one of the reasons why most contracts say that you have to gain permission to take on other jobs. It's not just about the conflict of interest in working for competitors.

Does your partner not drive? Can't she get a delivery driver job?

General_Grant

Have you opted out of the 48-hour working week?  If not and your part-time work would take you over that (averaged out over 17 weeks) then you need to do so if taking up employment elsewhere.

KinderScout2019

just check my employment contract, I think it is mandatory to inform the company... I will speak to my manager later this week then...

Your manager will tell you your specific hours of work, any applicable shift patterns and details of meal breaks. Your standard hours of work or shift patterns may vary over time and you must be flexible in your hours of work to meet the varying demands of the business. You will need to work such extra hours as are required to meet business needs.
For the purposes of the Working Time Regulations 1998, normally it is not intended that you will work on average in excess of 48 hours per week. However, should business needs require, you agree to work in excess of an average of 48 hours per week. If you wish to terminate this opt out agreement, you need to tell the Company in writing three months’ in advance. You must also comply with any record keeping and time keeping policies, which the Company may introduce. If you work for another organization outside the XXX Group (with the Company’s permission) you must tell your manager how many hours you are working.

KinderScout2019

General_Grant said:

Have you opted out of the 48-hour working week?  If not and your part-time work would take you over that (averaged out over 17 weeks) then you need to do so if taking up employment elsewhere.

from my employment contract, it said I have to work >48 hours if necessary…

Sncjw

You might ending up burning out because your not resting due to working constantly. 

General_Grant

KinderScout2019 said:

General_Grant said:

Have you opted out of the 48-hour working week?  If not and your part-time work would take you over that (averaged out over 17 weeks) then you need to do so if taking up employment elsewhere.

from my employment contract, it said I have to work >48 hours if necessary…

That contract extract is very poor practice.  The opt-out is supposed to be a separate document.  Including it as standard in a contract is not appropriate as it indicates some pressure on employees to opt out.

By the way there are some classes of worker who cannot opt-out and that includes a worker in the road transport industry, eg delivery drivers (except for drivers of vehicles under 3.5 tonnes).