My understanding was that this person's normal job did not include working nights and weekends. It was the act of taking on the "company side project" that nece

My understanding was that this person's normal job did not include working nights and weekends. It was the act of taking on the "company side project" that necessitated that extra work. If the person's job includes working nights and weekend and compensates fairly for it, and they have the option of working on an official side project _instead_ of their normal work, then I agree with your analysis of the situation. If the person's job does not normally include nights and weekends, and they are compensated based on that, and adding the official side project to their work adds this time with no added benefit, then the company is being exploitative. At the high level... - if the side project can be done instead of your normal work, all good - if the side project is done in addition to your normal work, with no additional compensation, then it's exploitative.