Providing Engineering Services to Nonemployers: An Ethical Balance

Abstract

An engineer providing services to a party other than his or her regular employer must balance several competing interests to make ethical judgments. Among these considerations are the engineer's personal welfare and reputation, the client's engineering needs, the employer's legitimate rights, and the greater interests of the profession and of society. Common situations and their ethical implications to an engineer who provides voluntary or profit-seeking services are discussed using the ASCE