Originally coined by freelance writer Inda Schaenen, polygamous working describes the practice of working two or more full-time jobs simultaneously under the radar. This growing trend has been enjoying the spotlight of late. That’s not the case with the emerging practice of so-called polyamorous concurrency, often mistaken for polygamy, which has gained favor during the hybrid- and remote-work era. In times past, moonlighting referred to the practice of working a second job—usually at night—in order to supplement earnings. In contrast, polygamous work is a much more complicated arrangement.
At other times, the polygamous working can lead to severe legal repercussions. A notable example includes a woman who was convicted of fraud for managing two full-time positions—one at Barnet Council and another at Croydon Council. In another case, a man was prosecuted after officials found that he had accepted four jobs at the same time. While there is no law prohibiting individuals from holding multiple jobs, engaging in polygamous working can cross into fraudulent territory if it leads to deceptive practices.
In fact, most of those with side jobs don’t tell anyone. This is partly due to the growth of remote and hybrid work spaces. These flexible work-from-home policies not only help employees manage various commitments more adeptly, but they do so without raising eyebrows. This dual employment only becomes obvious when employers start to notice a drop in employee attendance and productivity.
Social media has quickly become the breeding ground for posting tips and tricks on how to effectively deal with polygamous working. Our Reddit community r/overemployed is a busy place. Here, individuals eagerly swap tricks on how to do other work without attracting attention. We hear powerful wisdom on work-life balance, time management and productivity from so many participants. Previously, we heard from Linda about the challenges in serving multiple masters.
The burden of balancing two full-time jobs looms large. Others may find it hard to perform optimally in just one role. Balancing the shifting priorities from each of these three employers creates an even larger hurdle. One individual candidly shared their experience:
“Honestly, I wasn’t doing another job while pretending to work from home. I was just skiing.”
This comment highlights the lengths some individuals may go to in order to manage their time while fulfilling job requirements.
Hybrid working sounds like a dream for both businesses and employees, which presents serious challenges that would lead, in some cases, to unethical practices.
“There are many benefits to hybrid working for employer and employee; unfortunately, this is one of the downsides,” noted a workplace analyst.
It wouldn’t take long before employers started to see patterns in attendance or productivity, and conduct invasive investigations on employees’ activities. As the phenomenon of polygamous working becomes more widespread, it presents provocative workplace ethics and employee engagement conundrums.