TEXAS AGRILIFE RESEARCH RULES

31.05.02.A1 OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT AND CONSULTING FOR NON-FACULTY EMPLOYEES
Approved: January 30, 2001
Supplements System Policy 31.05 and 17.02, and System Regulation 31.05.02

Texas AgriLife Research (AgriLife Research) endeavors to provide a work environment that gives employees the freedom to maximize their opportunities for professional growth and advancement, including outside employment and consulting with the provision that they will place their job priority first on the accomplishment of the duties and responsibilities assigned to their positions of employment with AgriLife Research. Outside employment and consulting activities are considered as secondary activities. System Policy 31.05 and System Regulation 31.05.02 outline the prerequisites for approval, and the categories of employees affected by this rule.

2.01 Consulting and outside professional employment shall be approved in advance according to appropriate procedures and all other conditions listed in System Policy 31.05, and related system regulations.

2.02 Employees engaged in outside employment which clearly does not involve the potential for a conflict of interest or other ethical concerns are not required to request written permission for such outside employment. Examples of this type of employment include, retail sales, restaurant/catering, etc. This waiver does not apply to any employee-owned or family-owned business that does business with the System or its components.

2.03 Employees who wish to consult or accept outside employment, except as outlined in paragraph 2.02, will submit their requests through normal administrative channels in sufficient time to be considered in a routine manner and to ensure it has been approved before actually consulting or leaving the workplace to consult.

2.04 Employees who consult and/or participate in outside employment activities prior to approval by the Director or designee are subject to disciplinary action according to System Regulations.

2.05 Requests for approval of consulting and outside employment shall be in writing in accordance with the following procedures:

A. Submit and obtain approvals on the completed Outside Employment and Consulting Application and Approval Form, System Form HR 202A, in advance of the outside employment and/or consulting. The information provided will include: employing firm, agency, or individual; nature of proposed work (do not include any "classified" information), the period of request, total amount of time involved, and information on equity ownership.

B. Authorization will be for no more than one year's duration, terminating in all cases on August 31 of each year.

C. The original form will be returned to the applicant upon completion of the approval process. Copies of all applications/authorizations will be kept in the agency central files, in the employee*s official personnel file, and sent to the department, center, or other unit.

D. The employee's supervisor or unit head will keep a record of individual absences from the employee*s official place of duty for outside employment or consulting except for outside employment identified in paragraph 2.02. Approval for such absences must be requested in advance using the standard form for leave requests and attaching a copy of the approved Outside Employment and Consulting Application and Approval Form, System HR Form 202A.

E. Unless specifically approved in advance for use of release time, absences will be recorded as vacation time or as a reduction of previously recorded compensatory time due; or, when such paid absence time is not available, an appropriate payroll reduction will be made.

For questions, contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Human Resources Office at 979-845-2423.