Forget multitasking — the latest trend is multiple job holding

Remote work has given many employees increased flexibility, allowing them to perfect the art of multitasking. But have some employees taken this too far? 

A new trend is emerging of employees working two full-time jobs. Beyond a "side-hustle," these employees are clocking in from 9-to-5 at two separate companies, made possible by the flexibility of the virtual work world. 

"The availability of spare time we usually use to commute for work and other in-person activities really contributed a lot to this trend." says Maria Flores, COO at MediaPeanut, a media and technology blog.

For one employee, who agreed to speak to EBN under the condition of anonymity, her day is filled to the brim with two full-time roles. Neither of her employers know she's working for two companies at once, but the schedule allows her to maximize her day — and her paycheck. 

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"I usually have a block of three-hour meetings, then I take a break and then I'll work in two or three hour sprints. If I'm tired, I'll delegate quite a bit," she says. "I'm a financially driven person in every job that I take. Jobs are temporary, so I treat every one like, 'OK, I want to be VP in this amount of time.'" 

She's not the only one who has taken to this trend. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of U.S. workers who hold more than one job has increased during the past 20 years. Additionally, women hold multiple jobs at a higher rate than men. And amid an uncertain economy, doubling your job security has its benefits, too, says Flores. 

"Some of the corporate professionals I have known that have multiple jobs do so because they want to have a fallback when one job ends," Flores says. "Given the volatility and unpredictability of the job market and the current economy, I think most workers want to have a Plan B or C for their careers." 

The anonymous employee says that "doomsday prepping" is her overarching strategy when it comes to her employment. She's learned not to rely on one employer alone or to put all her efforts into a single role.  

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"I've been laid off two times," she says. "I've had too many things happen at companies to be fiercely loyal or to kill myself on one job."

She also points to a hard truth that companies do not always promote internally, despite data showing that candidates stay 41% longer than workers at companies with lower internal hiring rates, according to LinkedIn's 2020 Global Talent Trends report.

"Sometimes no matter how good you are, you're still not going to get promoted," she says. "So instead of killing yourself, be a little bit more likable and you'll get a lot further than beating yourself over the head about a project."

And by "likability" she is referring to developing soft skills and emotional intelligence, as opposed to only perfecting hard, technical skills. That relationship building goes hand-in-hand with high-level roles.  

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While career advancement is a major driver for working multiple roles, over-work could lead to a higher risk for burnout, which has already run rampant through the workforce. According to the American Psychological Association's 2021 work and well-being survey, 79% of employees have experienced work-related stress, and nearly 3 in 5 employees reported negative impacts like increased mental distance from one's job.

But the anonymous source insists that hasn't been an issue for her; instead, she's found support from her managers and communicates openly around her work load. 

"I don't necessarily feel any more stressed (than with one job)," she says. "I have pretty easy-to-manage managers — if I tell them I need more time, they're not freaking out."

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But while she says she has a high level of trust with her managers, she has yet to reveal that she's working double-time. She's confident as long as her output stays high, how she spends those hours is up to her. 

"I think the idea of working hourly is so antiquated in this type of industry," she says. "I'm paid for the value that I add, I'm not paid for the hours I work. You want to be paid for your value creation." 

However, some employers are already putting guidelines in place to prevent this trend from gaining a stronghold, Flores says, even writing it into their application process. 

Yet as the trend gains footing among younger corporate professionals, employers may have to make adjustments to their expectations. The anonymous source says that working two jobs is something her fellow MBA graduates are aware of and also participate in. 

"Most of my colleagues from school know about this. A few people that I talked to, who are very high achievers, put in their contract, 'I need to be able to do other jobs that are not competitors,'" she says.  "Most of us are working remotely — it's very doable."