Protecting Myself and Idea while working
What's the best way to protect myself and my idea from my current company? I don't think they'd ever try to claim it and the idea doesn't directly compete with what we do but it's a product we could use and therefore so could our competitors.
Check your contract/local laws to see what restrictions they have on making things outside of your company. Some places have ridiculously strict contracts, and some places like CA put limits on these (if you make it on your own time and with your own hardware/tools, it's likely clear, but IANAL). Definitely do it on your own time, never while working, and on your own laptop without any services or tools your company provides. I would say keeping a log of when you work on things, add features, etc may give you some protection.
I’d definitely recommend going through your contract first, however, chances are it’s built in a way that puts your employer in a better condition.
So what I’d do is I’d talk to my HR and discuss this openly. At the end of the day they are the people who’d play against you if sh*t hits the fan, so it’s good to know what’s on their mind.
quit your job