Working Two Remote Jobs. What could go wrong?

Working two remote jobs at the same time is a byproduct of today's hybrid working system. It stems from an acute lack of workplace trust, as employees are seeking to build work resilience.

Could you work on two different computers, with two different managers, answering two different corporate emails simultaneously? It’s called working two remote jobs full-time, and many people are quietly doing it today.

Why? Well, first of all, they are cashing hundreds of thousands of extra dollars per year. They feel they can stretch their working from home hours and get a safety net of additional income and experience.

Economists have called this era of remote work the era of the “Great Resignation”, as employees search for opportunities to pursue their dreams. It is a transition period, searching for the right work life balance between a stay-at-home parent and a work-from-home employee.

This year alone, 41% of workers were considering changing their professions, according to a Microsoft survey of more than 30,000 global workers. Another study from an HR software company showed that 38% of the workers from the UK and Ireland were planning to quit their jobs in the next six months to a year.

Employees who feel undervalued and unheard prefer to take a second full-time job. Why overwork for only one employer when you can have two remote jobs and make extra cash?

It doesn’t seem like a bad idea, except it might weigh heavily on the work life balance of the employees.

Working two Remote Jobs: Why the fuss?

It’s not unusual for employees to seek side gigs while working full-time. Some might be selling origami on Etsy or driving and Uber after hours. However, when we’re talking about working two remote jobs, we mean simultaneous, separate full-time jobs. Much like in this cartoon.

Overemployment is not a revolution. It has been practised in the tech industry for some years.

In fact, one tech employee called Isaac launched a community called Overemployed where people in the same situation could get inspiration on how to stretch the working from home hours and navigate two remote full-time jobs.

People using the Overemployed platform are in the 20-60 age range. Some of them have lots of experience, while others are juggling two internships at the same time.

Apart from affecting work from home mental health, this kind of overemployment sits in the grey legal area. Whether it’s legal or not depends on the different types of employment contracts and other non-compete agreements.

Working two remote jobs is also unethical. As a worker, you are essentially lying about dedicating all your working from home hours to the job. Usually, public opinion has dubbed this practice “business bigamy” and slammed it as dishonest and dishonourable.

However, the remote workers might have a point here as well. Let’s walk in their shoes for a while.

Money is Not the Only Reason

Overemployed workers are not just “trying to make more money” in every possible way.

As working from home became a norm, remote workers began to wonder.

• ?“What more can I do with?my skill set?”
• ?“How can I improve my abilities?”
• “Where can I gain more experience in this specific area?"
• ?“What am I most interested in?”
• ?“What am I most passionate about?”
• ?“How might I use my skills differently?”

And if you’re an employee stuck in the same position for years, without the possibility to grow, gain more skills, responsibilities and a pay rise, what would you do?

Quit and go looking for another job? That might be challenging and financially unsecure. So, why not keep your old jobs where you know all the ropes while embarking on a “new adventure”. It’s like being in the comfort zone and outside it at the same time.

Therefore, it could be the case of “one meaningful job that doesn’t pay well” and another “boring job that pays all the bills”.

What is more, some workers might want to pursue completely different careers. So, starting over again is problematic, and it doesn’t pay well.

Working Two Remote Jobs Because “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”

We all know what burnout is, and it’s serious. But what about boreout?

Boreout happens when we get so bored of our work that we feel everything we are doing is utterly meaningless. Disillusionment kicks in, and corporate life seems hollow.

So, getting a second full-time job might seem like taking your revenge on the employer who doesn’t have any regard for your skills and doesn’t give you the promotion you deserve.

The disproportionate amount of power that managers might have within certain working relationships backfires. Suppose an employee feels like he/she is owned by the boss, the sense of rebellion kicks in. Suddenly, the employee can say: “I’m just a number on your sheet? Good, you’re just a number on my sheet too. You can fire me, I’ve got contingencies”.

It’s a game of “you’re not fair with me”, “I’m not fair with you”.

For example, did you know that the gap between productivity and compensation is dramatically increasing? Since 1979, employee productivity has risen by 61.8%, while compensation has only increased by 17.2%. That means productivity has grown 3.5 times more than pay. Employees are much more productive today than they were 40 years ago. Yet, they are not paid accordingly.

This lack of visibility and transparency from the employer towards the employees makes people give big corporations the middle finger and take a second full-time job.

They feel the system does not have their best interest at heart, so they are also cheating.

Trust is in short supply

Decreased trust levels between employees and their employers can also lead to overemployment. When employees are not feeling safe with their remote full-time jobs, they want to increase their resilience by taking a second job.

According to the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer , trust is in decline as a leadership crisis is raging on. People no longer trust government leaders, journalists or CEOs.

In fact, CEOs’ credibility is at an all-time low in countries such as Japan or France.

There Are No Automatic Rewards in The System

When we are little, we are taught that hard work will get us everywhere. If you work hard and dedicate your time to one thing, you will be rewarded. Well, reality check, it’s not like that. Hard work is just one stepping stone.

If you want to climb up the corporate ladder, you need more than hard work.

First of all, if you want to get ahead, it’s not enough to do your job well. Secondly, if you do your job well and are silent about it, no one will reward you for it.

Hard-working employees need to be politicians as well. You don’t only need to work in the room. You also need to work the room. And many employees are not ok with that.

So, Working Two Remote Jobs. What Can Go Wrong?

First of all, the current overemployment inflation has multiple causes. Most of these causes lay in the lack of organisational transparency , companies treating employees as mere resources. If companies don’t do anything about this soon, they’ll have half-employees.

Secondly, from the employee’s perspective, work-life balance is essential. Splitting your time between two full-time jobs and juggling calendars and meetings might lead to burnout. You might end up on the slippery slope of thinking you can take a third part-time job etc.

This article is just a red flag that this work system is far away from perfect. We are currently at a crossroads. Employees demand more freedom, trust and recognition. Employers want loyalty, productivity and control.

Can we meet in the middle? How about a hybrid form of “freemployment ” where the employees have more control, freedom and responsibility?

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