Can an Employer Demand an Employee Only Work for Them

[llworking]

I agree with what everyone has said, but in reality, it would be incredibly rare to find an employer who would attempt to take things that far, because they would never be able to keep any staff. Even people desperate for a job won't stay there any longer than they have to stay...they would be looking for something else.

What most employers will try to restrict people from doing are things that would raise health insurance costs, or things that have the potential to interfere with the employer's business. If an employer is trying to restrict someone from working a second job, its likely to be because the employee is tired and not alert enough at work, or the employer needs the employee to be completely flexible with hours.

[InsideTrader]

I'm not trying to argue. I'm asking because I don't know the answer. Does an employer have an obligation to treat everyone the same. For instance... Can Bill be required to wear pink hats outside of work but everyone else can wear whatever they want?

[llworking]

I'm not trying to argue. I'm asking because I don't know the answer. Does an employer have an obligation to treat everyone the same. For instance... Can Bill be required to wear pink hats outside of work but everyone else can wear whatever they want?

Employers are allowed to discriminate as long as the discrimination is not due to a protected characteristic (think age, race, gender etc).

[cbg]

I'm not trying to argue. I'm asking because I don't know the answer. Does an employer have an obligation to treat everyone the same. For instance... Can Bill be required to wear pink hats outside of work but everyone else can wear whatever they want?

No. An employer does not have the obligation to treat everyone the same. Bill can be required to wear pink hats out of work and everyone else wear what they want, as long as Bill was not singled out to be required to wear pink hats BECAUSE OF his membership in a classification protected by law.

It is illegal to single someone out for adverse treatment BECAUSE of their race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, because they are over 40, or because of a characteristic protected by state or local laws. If it's not for one of those specifically stated reasons, it's probably legal.

[eerelations]

...you can be fired for wearing green shoelaces.

Especially when combined with pink hats!

[Mr. Knowitall]

Where are we going with this?

[PandorasBox]

If your job is physical....yes, they can ban you from sports. You might get hurt and not be able to work.

They can tell you that you cannot drink alcohol.

- - - Updated - - -

Some companies will tell you that you cannot use tobacco products.

[cbg]

The job doesn't have to be physical for them to ban an employee from sports. Granted, I can't think of a reason offhand why they would. But they CAN.

In the same way, there does not have to be a conflict of interest for the employer to ban second jobs.

It would then be up to the employee to decide whether he wanted to continue to work for the employer or to play sports/have the second job.

[eerelations]

No no no Mr. K, it's green shoelaces!!! Pink shoelaces are protected characteristics!!!

[InsideTrader]

If an employee is required to wear the pink hat, is that employee entitled to be paid for the time he or she is being required to wear the hat?