How to evaluate outside employment and other activities
All employees and professors are to evaluate their outside activities with regard to compatibility with their contractual employment obligations as well as any potential conflicts of interest, conflicts of commitment and risks to the reputation of ETH Zurich.
If an outside activity poses a conflict of interest or commitment, it must always be reported via ETHIS and is subject to approval.
In the following cases, outside employment and other outside activities...
- Board of directors or supervisory board membership
- Board of directors or supervisory board chair
- Foundation board membership
- Foundation board chair
- Executive management role
- The use of ETH Zurich infrastructure
- Outside pursuit exceeds 20% (for full-time professors)
- Outside pursuit exceeds 10% (for full-time employees)
- Outside pursuit with potential conflict of interest or reputational risk to ETH Zurich
- Outside pursuit with potential conflict of commitment
- Consulting/advisory work
- Teaching or research commitment outside of ETH Zurich
- Public/political office
- Affiliation with another university (foreign or domestic)
- Involvement in committees such as SNSF, Innosuisse, EU research programmes, etc.
- Involvement in expert commissions of Swiss or international bodies
- Ex officio mandates
- Expert in examinations (final apprenticeship examinations/vocational baccalaureates)
- Involvement in the publication of scientific or specialised journals
- Freelance work/work for one’s own company
- Additional employment outside of ETH Zurich
If any of these outside activities pose a conflict of interest or commitment, however, it will require approval.
- Involvement in scientific and university committees
- Attendance at and organisation of scientific conferences
- Review activities for university-related tasks
- Acting as an expert in specialist examinations as co-examiner
- Co-ordination, management and teaching of continuing education courses at ETH Zurich
- Involvement in a non-profit club or association
- Assistance for an exam preparation course
- Involvement in a relevant professional organisation
If any of these outside activities pose a conflict of interest or commitment, however, it will require approval.
Conflicts of interest, reputational risks and conflicts of commitment
The risk of a conflict with the interests of ETH Zurich as an employer arises particularly if there is harm to the credibility or the reputation of the university as a result of the employee’s outside activity. It can also be considered a risk if the independence, objectivity or trustworthiness of the employee can be called into question.
If conflicts of interest or commitment cannot be ruled out in an individual case, the request for approval may be denied or conditional approval can be granted (e.g. reduction of workload). Here the principle of proportionality must be observed.
An employee opens a yoga studio
- This situation involves self-employment/work for one’s own company.
- Conflict of interest: There is no conflict because there is no relationship to the employee’s current position at ETH Zurich.
- Conflict of commitment: There is a potential conflict, depending on how much time the employee dedicates to the studio.
If there is a conflict of commitment, the outside activity must be reported and is subject to approval.
A full-time employee is founding their own company and plans to become self-employed. The time commitment is significant (over 10% workload).
- This situation involves freelance work/work for one’s own company.
- Conflict of interest: There is no conflict.
- Conflict of commitment: There is a conflict.
Because the time commitment exceeds 10% of a 100% workload, the employee must report their side venture and have it approved. Because the combined time commitment exceeds the maximum weekly working time of 45 hours, this kind of outside employment can only be approved if the employee reduces their employment level at ETH.
An employee helps a family member in their own company.
- This situation involves additional employment outside of ETH Zurich.
- Conflict of interest: There may be a conflict of interest.
- Conflict of commitment: There may be a conflict of commitment.
If the event of a conflict, the outside activity must be reported and is subject to approval.
An employee has a full-time position in the IT Services department at ETH. They also have a side gig providing IT services at a doctor’s office (average of two hours per month).
- This situation involves additional employment outside of ETH Zurich.
- Conflict of interest: There is a potential conflict of interest because the employee’s side venture is related to their current position at ETH Zurich.
- Conflict of commitment: There is a potential conflict of commitment, for instance if urgent work needs to be carried out during regular working hours at ETH Zurich.
If there is a conflict of commitment, the outside activity must be reported and is subject to approval.
An employee holds an 80% position at ETH Zurich. They also have a 30% position at another employer.
- This situation involves additional employment outside of ETH Zurich.
- Conflict of interest: There is no conflict.
- Conflict of commitment: There is a conflict, as the total of the employee’s contracts exceed a 100% workload.
Because the time commitment for the outside activity exceeds 10% of a 100% workload, the employee must report their second job and have it approved. Because the combined time commitment exceeds the maximum weekly working time of 45 hours, this kind of outside employment can only be approved if the employee reduces their employment level at ETH.
An employee works in shifts/on standby duty and has another job.
- This situation involves additional employment outside of ETH Zurich.
- Conflict of interest: There is no conflict.
- Conflict of commitment: There is a potential conflict.
The second job must be reported and is subject to approval. In order to be permitted to have outside employment, shift and standby workers have to observe the rest periods required by law. This may lead to a reduction in their employment level at ETH.
An employee has an executive role at a family member’s company.
- This situation involves executive management duties outside of ETH Zurich.
- Conflict of interest: There is a potential conflict.
- Conflict of commitment: There is a potential conflict.
Performing executive management duties outside the university is always subject to reporting and approval requirements.
An employee holds an 60% position at ETH Zurich and holds a 40% position as the managing director for another company.
- This situation involves executive management duties outside of ETH Zurich.
- Conflict of interest: There is no conflict.
- Conflict of commitment: There is no conflict.
Performing executive management duties outside the university is always subject to reporting and approval requirements.
An employee is involved in a procurement at ETH Zurich and is also a member of the board of directors at the company that provides goods or services to the university.
An employee is involved in an ETH procurement procedure and is a member of the board of directors of a company that is a supplier in this procurement project.
- This situation involves serving on a board of directors or supervisory board outside of ETH Zurich.
- Conflict of interest: There is a conflict.
- Conflict of commitment: There is no conflict.
Any outside activity that involves serving on a board of directors or supervisory board must always be reported to and approved by the university.
Note: The rules of recusal in procurement procedures must be adhered to.
An employee serves on the supervisory board of a company to which the employee's organisational unit at ETH wants to award a contract to.
- This situation involves serving on a board of directors or supervisory board outside of ETH Zurich.
- Conflict of interest: There is a conflict.
- Conflict of commitment: There is no conflict.
Any outside activity that involves serving on a board of directors or supervisory board must always be reported to and approved by the university.
Note: The rules of recusal in procurement procedures must be adhered to.
An employee holds a full-time position at ETH Zurich. In their free time, they serve as a volunteer firefighter in emergencies and participate in regular training sessions.
- This situation involves being active in a non-profit club or organisation.
- Conflict of interest: There is no conflict.
- Conflict of commitment: There is possibly a conflict, since fire department operations can’t be planned.
If there is a conflict of commitment, the outside activity must be reported and is subject to approval.
An employee is a member of the board of a gymnastics club.
- This situation involves being active in a non-profit club or organisation.
- Conflict of interest: There is no conflict.
- Conflict of commitment: There is no conflict.
This activity does not need to be reported or approved.
An employee holds a full-time position at ETH Zurich and serves as an expert for oral exams for business-related fields (two days of administering examinations and three days of correction per year, paid activity).
- This situation involves acting as an expert in specialist examinations (final apprenticeship examinations/vocational baccalaureates).
- Conflict of interest: There is no conflict.
- Conflict of commitment: There is no conflict.
It is always required to report outside activities that involve acting as an expert in specialist exams.
An employee is involved in an outside activity that is connected to contracts that are carried out for ETH Zurich or that are to be awarded by ETH Zurich in the foreseeable future.
- This situation can fall under several categories (e.g. freelance work, self-employment, holding a supervisory board role).
- Conflict of interest: There is a conflict.
- Conflict of commitment: There is no conflict.
Since there is a conflict of interest, this outside activity needs to be reported and is subject to approval.
Note: The rules of recusal in procurement procedures must be adhered to.
In the meantime, the content of my outside employment has changed. Do I have to enter it again in ETHIS?
If the content of the outside employment has changed, it is advisable to talk to your supervisor and discuss it with regard to new conflicts, etc. If the content of the outside employment has changed, it must be re-entered in ETHIS. If new conflicts have arisen due to the change in the content of the outside activity, it would have to be re-entered in ETHIS.
I have taken on a new function at the employer where I carry out my outside employment. Do I have to re-enter the secondary employment in ETHIS?
Yes, if the new function could lead to other/new conflicts.
The work volume of my outside activity has increased. Do I have to report the outside employment again in ETHIS?
Yes, if other/new conflicts could arise due to the increase in the workload.
Can professors now register secondary employment requiring approval directly via ETHIS?
Yes, new outside employment requiring approval can now be entered via ETHIS. Outside employment that has already been approved is displayed in ETHIS and confirmed in the Annual Academic Achievements (AAA).
Can professors now enter notifiable outside employment directly via ETHIS?
Yes, secondary employment that have to be reported can now be entered in ETHIS. These will then be displayed in ETHIS and confirmed in the Annual Academic Achievements (AAA).
What is the distinction between outside employment/other activities and holding multiple jobs?
As a general rule, every activity pursued in addition to one’s main job is considered to be a form of outside employment or other activity. If an employee is permanently or indefinitely engaged on behalf of one or more employers in several EU/EFTA states on a regular basis, they are considered to Downloadhold multiple jobs (PDF, 36 KB)vertical_align_bottom. Here, the focus is on questions regarding social security.
The guidelines on outside employment apply to outside employment/other activities as well as holding multiple jobs. Employees must report their multi-job status if they have employment relationships in several countries and if there is a conflict of interest or conflict of commitment.
Do all of your employments (employment contracts) exceed a full-time employment (100%)?
This question is related to the overall employment contracts. Example: An employee has an employment of 80% at ETH and an additional employment of 30% at Muster AG, so the total exceeds 100% and therefore this question must be answered with a yes.
Does your total work volume exceed 110 full-time equivalents (annual average)?
For this question, it does not matter whether there is an employment contract or not, but whether the total workload exceeds 110% (full-time equivalents). Example: Volunteer work of 80 days per year with a 100% employment.