The secretive rise of the 'overemployed'
Remote workers quietly holding two or more full-time jobs are challenging traditional expectations about loyalty, working hours, and what employers are really paying for. Commenters debate whether this “overemployment” is fraud or just rational self-interest in a landscape of at-will employment, opaque performance metrics, stagnant pay, and companies that treat staff as disposable. The trend raises legal and ethical questions around contracts, NDAs, and productivity measurement, while also fueling employer anxiety about remote work and calls for tighter oversight or return-to-office mandates.
Nature of Software Work & Measuring Output
- Some argue software work is inherently open-ended, making “finite tasks” hard to define.
- Others respond that planning, sprints, and scoped stories are mandatory; otherwise it’s “an infinite pile of random tasks.”
- Several managers describe practical bars: attending ceremonies, delivering scoped stories on time, passing reviews, and not requiring rework.
- There’s disagreement on whether tracking individual metrics (story quotas, velocity) is useful or harmful; some see it as commoditizing engineers.
Ethics: Overemployment, Fraud, and Transactional Work
- One side: if workers meet expectations, having multiple jobs is fine; employment is inherently transactional and companies already treat staff as disposable.
- Opposing view: there’s an implicit expectation of full-time effort; covertly delivering a fraction of that is akin to fraud or “double billing.”
- Some note overemployment often requires lying about bandwidth and timelines, while others say it can be done with minimal deceit.
- Overemployment is framed by some as a rational response to stagnant pay, lack of loyalty, and wealth concentration at the top.
Legal, Contractual, and IP Concerns
- NDAs, data protection, conflicts of interest, and overlapping IP rights (e.g., similar code for two employers) are cited as real risks.
- In Germany-style contracts, promising specific hours makes underworking potentially fraudulent.
- In common US at‑will arrangements, hours are less formal, but codes of conduct and non-moonlighting clauses may still apply.
- Tax withholding generally doesn’t expose second jobs in the US, though retirement plans may.
Remote Work & Management Implications
- Many fear media focus on overemployment will be used to justify return-to-office mandates and harsher monitoring.
- Some say tolerance of overemployment is a symptom of poor management, bad scoping, and over-hiring; others blame companies for making relationships purely transactional.
- Debate over whether “free time” should go to tech-debt, mentoring, or personal life versus second jobs.
Financial Motives & Labor Market Context
- Overemployment is seen by some as an efficient path to financial independence, especially amid high costs, debt, and uneven pay.
- Others prefer using slack time for hobbies and life satisfaction.
- Several point out the contrast between multi-job workers and many engineers struggling to land even one role after recent over-hiring and layoffs.