Anyone Working Two (or More) Full-Time Remote Jobs?

[Golfer20]

I had the opportunity earlier this year and I'm really starting to regret not doing it.  It would have been a great opportunity to pay off some debt/build our savings account as my wife and I have a baby on the way.  Ultimately, I decided against it because of the ethical concerns and simply being scared of getting caught.  However, in my previous work from home job I legitimately only worked about 10 hours a week and in my current one, I probably only work 20 hours a week.  I could have easily completed all tasks for both jobs and in my type of work, the chances of being double booked for meetings would have been slim.

Sidenote:  I hope corporate America doesn't look too hard at what Elon Musk did at Twitter by cutting half the staff and still improving Twitter.  A lot of us may be out of a job. 🙃

Based on the "Overemployed" subreddit, there seems to be quite a few people already doing it or seriously interested.  

So, is anyone else doing this or had the opportunity to?

 

 

 

[iacas]

No. I have about six or seven part-time jobs. 😀

[saevel25]

Hmm.. I am surprised people get away with it. I wouldn't want to get caught if I did. Honestly, I think it is unethical to take up two full time jobs. There could be someone out there who has been out of work for months, and has a job opportunity taken from them. 

In my case, I do not have the time, need, or want to do such a thing. If I had a side hobby, that I could sell stuff on the side. Like a craft or what not, I would do that. Like, if I did wood working or something. At least I could make my own hours, and wouldn't mind putting in 20+ hours a week on something I consider a hobby.

 

 

[dennyjones]

Having a spouse is a full time job!  (ducking as she looks over my shoulder).   As I get older I realize life isn't all about the money or paying off debt.  Life is all about making memories and if you're working that much, you're missing out on quite a bit.

[Denny Bang Bang]

I have a hard enough time finding a way to work under 50 hrs a week at one position.  Couldn’t imagine doing what I do for multiple businesses at the same time.

I have a buddy who was full time for two different employers for about two years.  His work was project based, so as long as he kept everything on track and met deadlines there were no issues.  I don’t find it unethical, as long you’re meeting your agreed upon commitments to each employer and there’s no competition between the employers.

Edited December 27, 2022 by Denny Bang Bang
“no” competition

[GolfLug]

2 hours ago, dennyjones said:

Having a spouse is a full time job!  (ducking as she looks over my shoulder).   As I get older I realize life isn't all about the money or paying off debt.  Life is all about making memories and if you're working that much, you're missing out on quite a bit.

Oh man, so true.. so so freaking true..!

To OP, two FT jobs?? 

I work 11-12 hour days on the one job I have. Can't imagine anything else, although I do help out my wife on Saturdays sometimes if she is short on staff and I am not running my kids all over creation. 

The one thing I absolutely agree with Elon Musk on - if you aren't here, chances are you are somewhere else. Obviously it is not unethical if you are not screwing your employer(s). But you are not being transparent so a bit shady. If you are meeting your commitments and can duke it out elsewhere in addition then it won't be long before corporations figure out what's happening and realize these are not FT jobs. Salaries/benefits will adjust.

 

Edited December 27, 2022 by GolfLug

[woodzie264]

8 hours ago, dennyjones said:

Having a spouse is a full time job!  (ducking as she looks over my shoulder).   As I get older I realize life isn't all about the money or paying off debt.  Life is all about making memories and if you're working that much, you're missing out on quite a bit.

Amen

6 hours ago, Denny Bang Bang said:

I don’t find it unethical, as long you’re meeting your agreed upon commitments to each employer and there’s no competition between the employers.

RFE

6 hours ago, GolfLug said:

The one thing I absolutely agree with Elon Musk on - if you aren't here, chances are you are somewhere else. Obviously it is not unethical if you are not screwing your employer(s). But you are not being transparent so a bit shady. If you are meeting your commitments and can duke it out elsewhere in addition then it won't be long before corporations figure out what's happening and realize these are not FT jobs. Salaries/benefits will adjust.

RFE

[iacas]

8 hours ago, Denny Bang Bang said:

I have a hard enough time finding a way to work under 50 hrs a week at one position.  Couldn’t imagine doing what I do for multiple businesses at the same time.

You're not reading what he wrote: he's talking about how some people's "full time job" take 10 to 20 hours, so they work TWO by lying to their employers. These people might be working less time overall than many of you work at your single full-time job.

[Hohjoe]

My job was hands-on. I did have a chance to work a sideline hands-on job that would have been in direct competition with my employer and had I been caught I would have been fired and I wasn’t willing to take the risk.

 

I had foot surgery and worked remote for a few weeks with an opportunity to go full time, but I didn’t like the anchor to the desk and monitor. The calls for that job were dispatched into a queue for each person and working another full time job in the same time frame would have been virtually impossible.

[Carl3]

My spouse was working remote pre-COVID. They recently caught an employee working at least one other job. This person was not getting their work done so my spouses company did some sleuthing. This person is on LinkedIn shown working for another company and using the professional photo that my souses company paid for.

they fired her for non- performance and keeping the multiple jobs thing in their back pocket if it goes to court.

long before COVID made WFH a “thing”, I had heard of sales representatives working multiple jobs. It takes time to get established in your territory and it might be 18 months before they find out you are ineffective. So I can see how that might work.

BTW I am on PTO right now and not on the clock😂

Edited December 27, 2022 by Carl3

[klineka]

12 hours ago, saevel25 said:

Hmm.. I am surprised people get away with it. I wouldn't want to get caught if I did. Honestly, I think it is unethical to take up two full time jobs. There could be someone out there who has been out of work for months, and has a job opportunity taken from them. 

Why do you think its unethical?

Do you also think it's unethical for a single mom of 3 kids to work two full time jobs that aren't remote so that she can make enough money to support her family?

 

12 hours ago, saevel25 said:

In my case, I do not have the time, need, or want to do such a thing. If I had a side hobby, that I could sell stuff on the side. Like a craft or what not, I would do that. Like, if I did wood working or something. At least I could make my own hours, and wouldn't mind putting in 20+ hours a week on something I consider a hobby.

Let's take a job that is very commonly remote like computer programming/coding. Plenty of people that have a full time job as a programmer also code on the side as a hobby for fun, so if they are very skilled at what they do and they can complete the tasks/projects for a second company in a timeframe that is satisfactory for that company, what's the issue? (Assuming of course the companies aren't competitors and the person is following everything legally as far as healthcare, 401ks, etc.) 

At what point does it become a problem? If they code outside their primary job for fun as a hobby that's ok, or maybe even if they do some freelance coding and get paid for it that's ok, but the second they take on that second "full-time" job that's a problem? That doesn't make sense to me.

[saevel25]

8 minutes ago, klineka said:

Why do you think its unethical?

Do you also think it's unethical for a single mom of 3 kids to work two full time jobs that aren't remote so that she can make enough money to support her family?

Ok, I will be a bit nuanced about it. 

Someone who is working full time, by the IRS 30-hours a week for the one job, I have no issue with that person working another full time job as long as the hours do not overlap.  In the morning, you work full time as a waitress at a diner, and then got a full time job at the 2nd shift someone else in the afternoon. That is totally fine.

If you have an 8-5, 40 hour job, where you sit at a computer (either in office or at home), to me it is unethical to work another job during those hours. Lets say you work your 8-5 or 30 hours, what ever the required hours are for the job. If you got another job lined up after that, maybe 2nd shift IT service or call center type of job, totally fine. No issue at all with that. 

13 minutes ago, klineka said:

Let's take a job that is very commonly remote like computer programming/coding. Plenty of people that have a full time job as a programmer also code on the side as a hobby for fun, so if they are very skilled at what they do and they can complete the tasks/projects for a second company in a timeframe that is satisfactory for that company, what's the issue? (Assuming of course the companies aren't competitors and the person is following everything legally as far as healthcare, 401ks, etc.) 

Depends on how the job defines working hours. If you personal contractor, who takes on jobs (bidding on a job), you may not be defined by a standard working hours (like 8-5). 

So, lets say you have a project for one company, and take on another for a different company, and hit both deadlines. Totally fine with it. The work hours are not defined. It is like an artist who contracts on multiple works of art. 

If you have a defined 8-5 type of job as an IT guy, and you are doing programming for a side gig during those working hours, to me that is unethical working practice. Do that side gig after you clock out. Let's say you work IT from 8-5, and then you have an agreed upon side gig to work 30 hours per week, so 5:30 till 11;30, go for it. No issues at all. 

 

[Denny Bang Bang]

4 hours ago, iacas said:

You're not reading what he wrote: he's talking about how some people's "full time job" take 10 to 20 hours, so they work TWO by lying to their employers. These people might be working less time overall than many of you work at your single full-time job.

I read exactly what he wrote.  Did you read my entire response?

[StuM]

Even if I could I would not do it.  Full Time to me implies @ 40 hours (I know, often 30/35 hours is considered FT) and do not think I could handle 2 true full time jobs.  Now if a job only took 10-20 hours a week I could see myself having multiple Part-Time job and would not think twice about it.  

I do think if an employer hires your "Full Time" they are expecting "Full Time Effort" and may be upset if you took a position with a competitor and worked for them at hours the first employer believes you are working for them.

As for the OP saying his full time job only requires 10 or 20 hours a week, does your employer know that or do they think you are actually working @ 40 hours per week?  If your responsibilities only require 10-20 hours,  Maybe take on more responsibility at your current employer and get even better compensated?

[iacas]

5 hours ago, klineka said:

Why do you think its unethical?

It's lying. It's theft, too.

5 hours ago, klineka said:

Do you also think it's unethical for a single mom of 3 kids to work two full time jobs that aren't remote so that she can make enough money to support her family?

Those are typically two separate jobs that don't overlap.

5 hours ago, klineka said:

Plenty of people that have a full time job as a programmer also code on the side as a hobby for fun, so if they are very skilled at what they do and they can complete the tasks/projects for a second company in a timeframe that is satisfactory for that company, what's the issue?

They're not being paid on a project basis, they're being paid for their time. If you have to try to schedule meetings or availability based on another job, you're not fully available for the job for which you're being paid "first."

I understand what you're going for here, but if the person wants to do that… they should be freelance or a gig worker. Get paid on a project basis.

And there are some salaried employees who are often "project" type things, but that generally means they work 50 hours many weeks, with a few slightly slower weeks here and there. They're still generally expected to work 40 hours or so a week (if not more).

Let me ask you this: if the developer in your hypothetical worked in the office instead of at home, would it be unethical for them to work on other projects and make outside money while they're on the company's property? Let's say the company is incurring no extra expenses, but instead of being available or working on that company's stuff, because he feels he's completed what he needs to complete, he works on other things outside the company… while sitting in his office. Do you have a problem with that? Because I do.

And I'm saying all of this as someone who often did things way quicker than expected. You know what I did in those situations? More. I checked with other teams to see if they needed a hand. I built extra tools. I did more testing. Etc. For the company that was paying me for my time.

5 hours ago, klineka said:

At what point does it become a problem? If they code outside their primary job for fun as a hobby that's ok, or maybe even if they do some freelance coding and get paid for it that's ok, but the second they take on that second "full-time" job that's a problem? That doesn't make sense to me.

That second outside job is done outside of work hours, not overlapping and taking from the 40+ hours they're expected to be working on the first company's stuff.

2 hours ago, Denny Bang Bang said:

I read exactly what he wrote.  Did you read my entire response?

I did, yes. It wasn't clear when you said "for 50 hours" since this guy is talking about people who work for 10 or 20 hours but are paid for "full-time" work. If you were actually "working for 50 hours" for one job, that's more than enough to cover the "full-time" salary and strongly implies the other full-time job occurs outside of those 50 hours. Like the single mother example.

[GolfLug]

Thanks @iacas, well explained.

We had a manager who was carrying on a full time logistics business while on the job for over a year. Someone in the cubicle next to him reported him talking to a customer on the phone setting up a load. He would randomly let me know that he was going to one of our off-site warehouse to count inventory 3-4 times a week. We checked and found he wasn't showing up to the warehouse.  

And no, it was no a victimless crime. His attention was always divided. We had lot of trouble with him managing his team, exporting mistakes, etc. 

We fired him earlier this month. 

[iacas]

1 minute ago, GolfLug said:

We fired him earlier this month. 

Hooray.

@klineka, what I have to say or do in a golf lesson is like 10 or 15 minutes (and often the thinking part is done in only a minute or two), so in your opinion… it shouldn't bother you much if I am doing other things most of the rest of the time? Day trading or whatever? There's a reason you pay less per individual for a group lesson, right?

[BlackDiamondPar5]

I wouldn't because it's unethical. 

I could have easily done it over the last year because the customer wanted an FTE in my position even though it wasn't needed.

 

Aside from ethics I wouldn't want to screw up a well paying gig that allows me significant flexibility, awesome work life balance, including ducking out early one day a week to play 18 etc.