Bus company refuses to allow driver to work for another company due to 'conflict of interest', driver backs out of the job: ‘If you want to control my time, pay for it’

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Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Feb 20, 2025 10:00 AM EST

There are plenty of competitive fields out there in which it is totally understandable why employees can't work for two rival companies at the same time. A lawyer, for example, absolutely cannot work for two law firms at the same time, because they surely have cases in which they represent different sides, and that can lead to quite a mess in the courtroom.

That is why many companies make a point to contractually forbid their employees from working a second job in the same field, and we can all agree that is acceptable.

However, some fields have no business doing that, because their field is not competitive whatsoever, so it does not require any form of secrecy. Teachers, for example, constantly work for more than one school, as there is no "rivalry" between the schools, and so there is no reason why they shouldn't teach (and earn money) as much as they can.

Bus drivers, should also be allowed to work for multiple bus companies, as long as their schedule allows it. Or so we thought until we read the story down below.

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  • This bus driver was contacted by a recruiter for a bus company after already securing a job elsewhere. However, the driver thought it could be a good solution to work both jobs, as the schedule allows. 

    The recruiter, on the other hand, did not approve of the idea, as she claimed working for two bus companies at the same time would be “a conflict of interest”… What conflict can that be?

    Keep scrolling to read how the driver responded to this claim.

  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10470409728
    via allenramos

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02
    I'm currently driving a school bus part-time. Have been looking for more work, especially over the summer. Today, within an hour of each other, I had calls from
    via PlatypusDream
  • 03
    a place I'd interviewed in person mid-December AND a place I'd done a phone interview with a couple weeks ago. Both had been silent since then.
    via PlatypusDream
  • 04
    [ETA: for both, I'd be driving a motorcoach, think tour bus or Greyhound. The first company also has smaller passenger vehicles. The second company also has school buses.]
    via PlatypusDream
  • 05
    I accepted PT for the first company, easing into that as I ease out of school bus while school ends. Boss there is OK with that.
    via PlatypusDream
  • 06
    When the second one called, I told her I had moved on with other options because I hadn't heard back... but I was willing to try to juggle all 3
    via PlatypusDream
  • 07
    PT jobs. She asked if the other was with a bus company, "because that would be a conflict of interest and we can't allow it".
    via PlatypusDream
  • 08
    I explained that I need to pay bills, so her company can control whatever time they pay for. She didn't like that, but didn't really have a
    via PlatypusDream
  • 09
    that, but didn't really have a response. So we agreed this probably wouldn't work. , that felt good!!
    via PlatypusDream
  • 10
    ETA: I was willing to juggle the USA Federal hours of service among all jobs, being totally honest with all of them. That wasn't the objection from company 2.
    via PlatypusDream
  • 11
    Cheezburger Image 10470409472
    via pixelshot
  • 12
    balangaz I think that conflict of interest is ovetsold in these people's heads. Are they afraid you'll spill valuable bus driving secrets to the competition? Some places are just too far gone to make sense
    via balangaz
  • 13
    PlatypusDream OP As a basic bus driver, I would have no knowledge of rates, nor any clients other than my own (or if I overheard other drivers talking), so it's really odd to claim a conflict of interest. Managers, yeah.
    via PlatypusDream
  • 14
    Western-Mall5505 Do these people know who can find out all about buses by going on the firm's website. They are a goldmine of information for a competitor,
    via Western-Mall5505
  • 15
    they tell you where the bus is going when it's should get there and how much it will cost you. Maybe they don't want their drives knowing that your original firm has better tea/ coffee.
    via Western-Mall5505
  • 16
    Maybe_Factor It's a conflict of interest to drive for two bus companies at the same time? What kind of trade secrets do they think they're protecting?
    via Maybe_Factor
  • 17
    KingsGard93 Not seeing anyone name the obvious "conflict" here which is scheduling. They want OP available for prime hours
    via KingsGard93
  • 18
    PlatypusDream OP And whoever contacts me soonest gets to schedule me first
    via PlatypusDream
  • 19
    jnwatson Conflict of interest for a bus driver. Because of all the sensitive IP you know. Jesus Christ what is this world coming too.
    via jnwatson
  • 20
    LJski Policies are for more than just one class of employee. Does it make sense for a bus driver? Maybe not, but perhaps in some other roles, or perhaps you can find out the costs... can't imagine it would be all that tough to do.
    via LJski
  • 21
    Ultimately, while they can't tell you what you do when you are not there, they can also hire or fire you based on who else you work for.
    via LJski
  • 22
    Toddw1968 And op says they're driving a SCHOOL BUS so what kind of conflict of interest could that be? Unless...they are also a school district but they don't pay as much as op's current job and they don't want op telling their folks they could make more at another district. But that's a stretch.
    via Toddw1968
  • 23
    PlatypusDream OP Currently on school bus yes The second company, that I turned down, does school bus & coach (the big tour buses, which is what I'll be driving). The first company has everything from a luxury sedan to coaches
    via PlatypusDream
  • 24
    derickkcired this also goes under "tell them nothing." what they dont know wont hurt you.
    via derickkcired
  • 25
    PlatypusDream OP There are federal hours of service laws so it could be hard to juggle, and going over (if caught... more unlikely now that Pres Musk is destroying the fedgov) would be Very Very Bad, especially if an injury accident is involved
    via PlatypusDream
  • 26
    AusXan It's more that any job wants you to be in two states: working for them or needing to work for them to survive. If you have a third state; working for someone else, then you
    via AusXan
  • 27
    aren't at their beck and call whenever they'd like. You also aren't actively afraid to stand up for your rights at any given job if you have another stream of income.
    via AusXan
  • 28
    PlatypusDream OP 8
    via PlatypusDream

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recruiter antiwork workplace-stories employee manager job tales-from-the-workplace reddit story driver bus driver workplace job search Reddit company funny conflict of interest
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