A regulated member of ASET is approached by a friend, whose small engineering company requires...

This scenario presents a clear and direct conflict of interest, as well as a breach of the ethical duty of fidelity to one's employer. By accepting "moonlighting" work that directly competes with the services offered by their primary employer, the member would be undermining their employer's business and potentially misusing skills or resources developed on company time. The ASET Code of Ethics mandates that members act with integrity towards their employers and strictly avoid conflicts of interest. Secretly undercutting the employer's rates to benefit a friend is highly unethical and violates the trust inherent in the employment contract. The member must firmly reject the offer to do the work privately. Furthermore, full transparency is required; the member should notify their employer about the situation. This disclosure protects the member from future allegations of misconduct and allows the employer to handle the business lead appropriately, perhaps by formally negotiating a lower rate through official company channels, thus keeping all professional activities ethical and above board.