Legal Question in Business Law in California

I work for a company that make Audio Synthesizers. While working there and helping the company make various products, I had an idea for a product that would appeal to a different crowd of musicians because currently the company makes products for electronic musicians. When I proposed my idea to the owner, it was rejected. After a while I decided to pursue the product myself. Now the owner claims that this is unethical as well as a violation because I am creating a product for musicians and it is creating a competing company against the one I work at one and two any and all products created for musicians is considered going against the company. The owner has indirectly threatened to fire me if I continue working on this project on those grounds. Can someone tell me something about if her claims are true if not what grounds do I have that say it is not?

Thank you


Asked on 9/25/12, 5:58 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

An employer can fire you for any reason they want as long as it is not expressly illegal, such as racial discrimination or retaliation for protected activities, e.g., union organizing. An employer has every right to expect that your entire working "bandwidth" be devoted to their business and not some other job or venture. If you go against that, they are more than free to fire you.

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Answered on 9/25/12, 6:21 pm


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