In this week's issue of The Cut Sheet, I talk a little bit about the effect on moonlighting since the pandemic began. Lots of surveyors started side hustles or even quit their jobs in favor of starting their own business. But this applies to all lines of work, not just surveying.
What are your thoughts about this? How has the pandemic changed your view of yourself, your business, or the industry as a whole?
Business-wise, the pandemic hasn't affected me at all, beyond having to wear a mask in a handful of limited jobsite situations.?ÿ Gross receivables and net income are both within the (fairly wide) range of pre-pandemic years.?ÿ I work solo, so there haven't been any disruptions to work processes.
It felt a little weird heading out to jobsites during the first part of 2020 when there was a stay-at-home order in place, but I concluded that I qualified as an "essential worker" -- I do a lot of transportation and infrastructure work -- and nobody challenged me on that.
I consider myself very lucky.
If anyone wants to pick up extra cash by moonlighting to do some sort of additional work, more power to them, so long as they operate legally and ethically with respect to survey work.?ÿ Everyone I know near me is turning down a ton of work because they can't find additional help.?ÿ I learned yesterday that a client I actually have on my list had contacted another firm because they think anyone else might get there sooner.?ÿ They are dreaming.?ÿ Had a guy call me three months ago wanting a survey complete within a week.?ÿ Told him no way.?ÿ Six to eight weeks out minimum.?ÿ He went away.?ÿ Saw that another firm did the job last week.?ÿ That's 11 weeks after he called me.?ÿ I still have about eight plats to finish to catch up to the fieldwork that is complete.?ÿ One of those was in September and one was in October.?ÿ I have reviewed plats by others recently that go back as far as June for the field work.
Does anyone need any intermediate to advanced cad work support!?!???
I'm no master drafter (and never want to be) but I'd be willing to take on overflow work with feeler rates to see how I can augment you and your operations while I'm going to school, working, and growing my base of experience.
HMU YOMFs
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Coincidentally, this month's Civil Engineering magazine has an article entitled "Moonlighting without Employer's Consent Raises Ethical Questions" by Tara Hoke.
In the article an engineer who does volunteer work for a local youth center is approached about a significant project. The engineer decides to take on the work as a "side" project, working only on weekends and after hours. The engineer's employer does not have a formal moonlighting policy.
When problems arise the youth center sues everyone involved, including the engineer's employer. The employer had no knowledge of the engineer's moonlighting project, but the engineer had written letters to his client on the firm's letterhead, thus a distinction could not be made.
Moonlighting employees must consider their responsibility to their employer.
It was busy before, but the pandemic sent business into overdrive.
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@not-my-real-name The firm for whom I used to work had to institute and "no moonlighting" policy for essentially the same reason.?ÿ The insurance company insisted on it.?ÿ The policy said that you could moonlight as long as it did not involve ANY of the type of work that the company did.?ÿ Using company equipment and/or company vehicle had always been a definite no no.
Andy
Again, we as an industry need to somehow limit our liability for this type of thing.?ÿ If anyone moonlights, then the firm who employs this person shouldn't be held responsible if the sh!t hits the fan.?ÿ Who is lobbying for our protection from this?
I'd love to do some CAD drafting on the side but my 9-5 gig doesn't really allow any time for that. Boundary surveys are my favorite though I've done all kinds of surveys, from beginner to complex.
Been thinking about investing in my own CAD laptop with a license of C3d and putting some feelers out there to see what's available. Sounds like a great way to spend an evening, a couple times a week, and make some extra $$ to boot.
Writing letters on your full time employers letterhead.?ÿ Now that takes balls.?ÿ I hope his license went on vacation.?ÿ?ÿ
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@squirl I did this for a few years for a small two man outfit, it brought in some good extra money. The quality of their work was horrendous and caused me to walk away, they would find two points and rotate the record data to them, different tract entirely, didn't matter to them.
they would find two points and rotate the record data to them, different tract entirely, didn't matter to them.
What??ÿ You're saying that they rotated a parcel onto field located monuments that aren't the corner monuments for that parcel?
That's quite and allegation.?ÿ Or am I misunderstanding something here?
I'd consider doing side work if I weren't licensed and my employer were OK with it. I have a lot of technical skills that don't require a license, and pay around here doesn't even come close to the cost of living.
But I don't really want to test the waters of how my work is construed if something were to go sideways with the moonlighting gig, nor do I want to have to figure out if I am competing with my employer every time I perform a task.
I guess I could do work for someone in a state where we don't have a presence...
As it should be.
I'm not going to try to make money outside of my current gig with the equipment I've been delegated, that's misappropriation, and theft. We are allowed with permission, and yeah I'm not able to stamp anything anyway so low level work is all I could do anyway.
But if you're not paying attention and pay your employees poorly, expectations of them not moonlighting and just departing are to be expected.
I was mostly tongue in cheek because I'm busier than a one legged man in an @$$ kicking contest, and would like exposure to different drafting esp because the laptop I'll be creating for my next purchase will beat the snot out of my overly regulated spy software infected corporate computer.
And I love who I work for so I'm not jeopardizing that for sure.?ÿ
