Business Ethics Question

[Buckley99]

He's a thief if he's working to start his own business using contacts not his own while accepting money from his employer on. If he wants to start his own business, that's fine. Do it like I did, quit your job, take the risk, and do it on your own dime. That way, you can sleep at night.

My thought as well ^^^

[100%TtId]

What does your boss say?

[Buckley99]

What does your boss say?

Good question. My boss (our President) and I were best friends in college and have a great relationship. He also has all of the same connections in this story and sent me a simple text.

"Call him ASAP."

I have already called my customer but I still feel that, in a way, I betrayed the trust of a good employee.

[100%TtId]

Good question. My boss (our President) and I were best friends in college and have a great relationship. He also has all of the same connections in this story and sent me a simple text.

"Call him ASAP."

I have already called my customer but I still feel that, in a way, I betrayed the trust of a good employee.

Good deal.

A good employee will understand the reasoning behind your actions. Even more so that you cleared it with your boss. Be sure to communicate the reasoning to your employee asap also. He might get some blowback and will need to know that you support his bringing the issue to you initially.

[GrapeApe]

What's to say this employee won't start poaching from you once he starts his own business?

You made the right call by making that call.

[Charles]

Good question. My boss (our President) and I were best friends in college and have a great relationship. He also has all of the same connections in this story and sent me a simple text.

"Call him ASAP."

I have already called my customer but I still feel that, in a way, I betrayed the trust of a good employee.

I got a hundred saying the "trusted employee" jumps ship as soon as the other dude is open for business.

[JLivi1224]

I'd give your customer a heads up. If he finds out later that you knew and didn't tell him he probably won't be your customer anymore. The guy is a thief stealing someone else's business.

This.

[TxAg]

I'd give my friend a heads up

[DUKFVR]

Call him. REAL friends help each other.

[texansfan]

He's a thief if he's working to start his own business using contacts not his own while accepting money from his employer on. If he wants to start his own business, that's fine. Do it like I did, quit your job, take the risk, and do it on your own dime. That way, you can sleep at night.

LoL unless you went into a completely unrelated industry than what you were employed to do, you bright along some sort of intellectual property from your previous employer.

If your barber didnt own the shop he cut your hair in and decided to change shops and he brought you along with him is he a "thief" because he took customers from his previous shop?

[rtp]

Call him and not only tell him what is going on but tell him your concerns with how Tom may react to this. If handled correctly Tom will never know you are the one who outed Bill. I have been involved in this very thing and no one ever knew how the boss found out. I can guarantee you Bill has told more than one person his plans. That is just how those people are. He will never know how the info got back to his boss.

[texansfan]

Call him. REAL friends help each other.

Good question. My boss (our President) and I were best friends in college and have a great relationship. He also has all of the same connections in this story and sent me a simple text.

"Call him ASAP."

I have already called my customer but I still feel that, in a way, I betrayed the trust of a good employee.

Friendships and business are two separate things....

If the role was reverse would you want your friend to tell you?

Honestly my first reaction from the outside looking in would be to let nature take its course, as things usually tend work out like they should...but if this was happening to one of my friends I would probably give them a heads up..

1. I can't tell if the OP owns the company he works for our if he is an employee of the company he works for

2. OP and the person that owns the biz that has the employee that's about to jump ship aren't friends. They simply know each other and do business together.
If they were FRIENDS this post would have not been made because it would be a no brainer. Friends = Brothers to me. Would I tell my brother that one of his employees was about to steal some of his clients and hang his own single????

3. What the employee is doing happens all day every day. You realize how many Google employees have got on their team to learn as much as possible only to leave a few years later and start their own company in direct competition with Google.

It's common.

[Dusty Britches]

So Bill is working for 2 companies and starting a new venture?

If so, has Bill notified your friend that he is working somewhere else?

I would ask your friend if he knows that. Then let him know that he is also building a business, there's no need to let him know how you know that.

[fox1]

Did the customer have his employees sign a non compete ?

[WItoTX]

He's a thief if he's working to start his own business using contacts not his own while accepting money from his employer on. If he wants to start his own business, that's fine. Do it like I did, quit your job, take the risk, and do it on your own dime. That way, you can sleep at night.

A person doesn't actually don't know any of that. All they know is the guy is intending to start a new business, in direct competition with the business he currently works for. There is a lot of implications there, but nothing is provable.

That being said, I would definitely let who ever at the current business know about it, because there is most likely a non-compete clause somewhere that was signed. Especially if its a friend.