[mattnewton]

Because they want to own all your ideas. I think it a) ensures they don’t pass on a great idea like HP and apple, and b) means they have the best productive hours of your day since outside work is disincentivized.

Many silicon valley giants were built off of moonlighters who quit their day job to build companies who later ate that day job, and the company would much rather promote you for new work than potentially miss out.

[fred_is_fred]

I just posted the HP/Apple example as it came to mind, but I think a clause like that was already in place at the time and HP explicitly said "we dont want it".

[mattnewton]

IANAL, but I thought modern contracts just give the company it, and thus avoid the step where a bureaucrat can decline.