[brazzy]

One relatively benign reason behind such policies is that the employer wants your free time to actually be free time that helps your recover, not a second job that leaves you exhausted and fighting burnout and sleep deprivation.

[esotericn]

This happens because the "first job" doesn't pay enough (so doesn't allow for long-term free time), or has hours that are too long to begin with (so doesn't allow for short-term free time).

[justinclift]

They can "want" whatever they like. Doesn't mean it's reasonable, nor something people should cater to. ;)

[eeZah7Ux]

That's not benign at all - using your "free" time for rest and recovery so that you can be worked to exhaustion during the week.

[PeterStuer]

More the opposite. Your contract says 8 hours, but everyone does 11 on average, so there is no way you could dispute ownership of those results.

Secondly most IT companies have 'innovation participation' programs that want to have first dibs on all your creative ideas, whether it's on the clock or off.

Thirdly, in an industry with very low start-up costs (all you need is a computer)and high competition for talent, even the potential threat of a former employer claiming IP over your new business can be a potential deterrent that nudges people into just not do it.

[epicide]

And yet if I went to work at a retail job, they wouldn’t care.

It’s purely to help themselves.

[notyourday]

The response to this should be "Sure, for 3x the salary"

[CleanShirt]

That doesnt stand up to reason. There was no enquiry into the amount of hours put into this that would indiciate it was second job or exhausting, they also don't do a full enquiry into any other activities outside your work that might exaust you. That would make contributing to open source a totally arbitrary thing to pick on, which of course it isn't.