Nowadays, it's not uncommon for workers to take up side gigs for additional income. Given the current state of the economy, it may even be a necessary evil in some cases. Most people opt for something they can do in their free time; perhaps a part-time position in the evenings or a freelance project they can pick up every now and then. But some people take it to a whole other level.
In a piece by the Wall Street Journal, it was revealed that a number of white-collar employees are working two full-time jobs remotely, and the crazy part is, no one knows about it. These workers essentially carry out both jobs at the same time, with one job overlapping the other. One software engineer told WSJ that he works full-time for both a media company and an events company since he is able to complete all of his work for the former in just 10 hours per week.
"The rest of it is just attending meetings and pretending to look busy," he explained.
This means he is bringing in two full incomes within a standard 40-hour workweek. According to verified salary claims, some workers are making as much as $200,000 to $600,000 between their two jobs, with the majority of them employed in the technology, banking, and insurance sectors.
While it doesn't seem that what they are doing is illegal, it's almost a given that their employers would be displeased if they ever found out that their employee was splitting company time with another job. It's unclear whether termination is a possible consequence, but it wouldn't be surprising if it is. When an employee signs on to a full-time job, he or she agrees to dedicate all time and attention to that job while on the clock.
That said, many dual jobholders don't believe they are doing anything wrong. As the ongoing pandemic continues to affect businesses everywhere, the fear of being laid off is constantly on their minds. Having two jobs gives them an extra sense of security, even if the arrangement is not that secure in reality.
"When white-collar remote workers are performing two supposedly full-time jobs at the same time, apparently well enough to not get fired from either, and are putting in less than 40 hours per week doing it, they’re revealing an enormously flawed system," says civil litigator Jonathan Wolf. "It seems a lot more productive to figure out why the crappy full-time employment system we have allows for this than to cast blame on the folks who took up residence in the system’s cracks."
