Manager Asks If She Should ‘Turn A Blind Eye’ On A High-Performing Employee She Believes Is Working Two Full-Time Jobs
Should she ignore it or tell HR?
DIProduction | Shutterstock Not everyone earns enough money from a single job to pay their bills, so some people decide to take on a side hustle. The issue is, many companies don't allow that, especially if it's not a freelance or part-time gig. Case in point: A manager asked for advice on Reddit because she believes one of her high-performing team members has a second full-time job.
But if the employee is getting their work done and still considered a high-performing team member, does it matter? According to users on Reddit, it shouldn't, because in our current economy, it's barely possible to survive on one salary.
A manager asked if she should 'turn a blind eye' to the possibility that a high-performing team member has a second full-time job.
The manager explained that the company is remote and her suspicion has been ongoing for over a year, but the employee's performance hadn't wavered. "He shows up to meetings," she wrote, "but his calendar is blocked for much of the day, and I know he doesn't have that many calls."
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But something happened recently that made the manager quite sure the employee had a second job. When he was sharing his screen, she noticed Outlook and Google Teams messages from people who were not in the company, with subjects unfamiliar to her.
"If he's doing his job," she wrote, "should I turn a blind eye?" The manager explained that people just have bills to pay, so she wondered if there was a need to hold the employee accountable. She even asked whether she should assign him more work or go to HR with evidence.
Overemployment is complicated.
There are two sides to this story: the ethical one and the legal approach when it comes to company policy. The comment section on the post seemed mostly in favor of not reporting the worker. "As long as they are meeting expectations, leave them be," one user shared.
To make ends meet, many Americans have started working for more than one employer. CBS News reported that in October 2023, nearly 8.4 million people held multiple jobs. With remote work, like in the Reddit post, workers have more flexibility and opportunities to juggle several jobs from home.
The reality is that some people take on a second job because their bills are too expensive to cover with only one income. Another reason might be the desire to learn a new skill. It’s difficult to say exactly why this employee has a second job, as the information is limited, but it’s safe to assume it’s financial, especially with the current cost of living.
Yet, there's a legal aspect to this story. An article by Aaron Hotfelder, who holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri School of Law, explained that being overemployed is not illegal by itself, but it can lead to civil legal issues and, in some cases, even criminal ones.
For instance, if your company has a contract with clauses stating you can't work another job or for a competitor, then you could be terminated if they found out, or even sued. In some cases, you can be charged criminally with fraud. For example, if you billed multiple companies for the same hours or used one company's resources for another job, you could face criminal theft or fraud charges.
The manager wrapped up the post by explaining that if the employee keeps doing their work, she doesn't mind ignoring it. That's probably the best bet. As one commenter wisely stated, "I work in a rural industry and many people around me own farms, cattle, shops, or side businesses that are their primary or secondary focus. Nobody cares or mentions this. But for some reason, if someone picks up a second job as a remote worker many companies treat them like a thief. That is insanity to me. People have been doing multiple jobs since we discovered fire, so there’s no reason in my mind that having a second job would be a bad thing unless they cannot meet expectations or they have a conflict of interest."
Matt Machado is a writer studying journalism at the University of Central Florida. He covers relationships, psychology, celebrities, pop culture, and human interest topics.
