Friend told me today…

[FairieCastel]

Her husband is working 2 full time jobs remotely. They live in the UK, so he works one in the day and then one which is US timezone. But there is crossover. Is it me or does this seem, I don’t know, fraudulent ?

It's true that many people have more than one job, but most don't have two full-time jobs, especially if both are Monday-Friday. I can't think that any employer would be happy about that, especially if there's overlap.

Just trying to think how this would work, hours-wise...so if he works a UK 9-5...In the UK, East Coast working hours are 2pm-10pm. West Coast hours in the UK would be 5pm-1am. So he either has three hours of overlap and works 9am to 10pm, or he has no overlap and works 9am-1 am.

Those are the two ends of the scale; obviously there are four other time zones within that.

So he does it by either having hours of overlap or works insane hours. Doesn't sound sensible or sustainable. If he wants extra money why doesn't he do a few hours at something three evenings a week or weekends? Some freelance work, run an eBay resale business, bar work, tutoring, coaching. I can understand wanting to work more hours, but two full-time jobs M-F is crazy, and I bet both companies would see it as a sackable offence.

@namechangedforthisquestion1 that’s some overlap!

Would it be fraudulent if he did a day shift at one job in the town he lives in then a night shift at another in the same town?

He's working plenty of hours but what's dodgy about it? Lots of people have several jobs either ft employed or through contract/freelance.

Unless you think he's pretending to be working while he's asleep or something? But how would you know and why do you care?

Your suspicion on the subject seems weird.

As long as they pay their tax, none of your business.

You need a hobby.

Years ago I worked with someone who was working the same job, twice, for two separate agencies. So getting paid twice for working once.

People think their job owns them, out of hours as well as in. It's so weird.
Unless it's against the terms of either contract who cares.

@ChicLilacSeal not everyone has to do their work in a line of 8 straight hours like that.

Not fraudulent, he's working all day then working in the evening/night which is US day time.

He's a hard worker and getting double the salary for working twice the hours. Good for him and I hope he has time off for family and relaxation.

I often think about grocery lists or a dinner plan for the whole of next week when I'm technically being paid to give my full attention to my work. Sometimes I look at my nails and ponder different colours.

What your friend told you is not something I'd get worked up about and certainly not something I'd consider acting on.

How does it work? Is he SE and submitting 2 invoices monthly. Because if paye they'd be able to see from his tax code. So presumably he isn't, and they don't know. I wouldn't like it if I was the MD of a company and found out one of my employees was doing this. Sackable offence surely. It's of course completely allowed to have 2 deferent jobs, if they don't conflict. Eg a main job and an evening job. But you says there was a crossover, which in this case with these 2 jobs there would be. That changes everything.

Must it?

Only if the companies have clear policies stating you cannot do that.

I sometimes work two things at once, there is nothing in my paperwork that says I cannot, I am self-employed and if I can fit thing 2 around thing 1, I will.

One of the jobs requires me to sit in front of a screen for 8 hours, ready to respond when necessary. That might mean I am busy the full 8 hours or it may be I go several hours without doing a thing.

The other things people pay for x hours of, or a flat rate for the job done to complettion, and its up to me when I complete those hours. If I've told them I can do the job in 3 hours and I do do the job in 3 hours, and I also meet the response times for the other job... whose business is it but mine?

It really does depend on the terms of employment or contract, and what the job actually is.

As long as it is just a matter of time management and no one is being ripped off, I don't see how it is anyone elses business.

Over employed (OE) is a thing. You hear of people with three jobs J1, J2, J3.

TBH - I admire the audacity - and the income must be great. Ride that wave baby.

This became more common during covid. Someone at one of our partner organisations was caught with 3! They were terminated when caught.

Thank you @FairieCastel, for actually accepting that what your OP said was a bit crass, and admitting straight out to have got this one wrong. You haven't started to argue with the majority of PP's on this thread, which seems quite unusual for an opening poster's thread. I think that your reaction to your replies tells far more about you than your OP did. I think that you are probably a lovely lady, and will accept this as part of your personal learning curve, even if that were only to be aware before posting a new thread (particularly) to try and read it again, to see if it actually reflects properly what you want to say.

I have learned the hard way to try to remember to read my responses before I send them, but mine are usually so long (unfortunately, I suffer from verbal diarrhoea, and have not found a cure yet, which is, of course, my bad) that not only can many readers not be asked to read them through, neither can I! So once again OP, thank you for your refreshing stance 💐

I think it depends on the nature of the job.
In some instances there is a definite requirement that you do not work for another company at the same time. The second company could be your competitor, for example.
However, I once worked with someone who did have a second job, but it was completely unrelated to the first job, which was clearly his main job.
(Neither job was work from home though, and there was no secrecy about it)
Everyone knew about the second job, including the bosses, who thought very highly of him.

How is it fraudulent? Many people work 2 jobs.

I know some people in the company I work for who worked on web chat had their children doing it while they did other things around the house etc.

Having an overlap in hours (as OP clearly indicated) means they are being paid for the same hours twice and not giving their full attention to either job. It's nothing at all like having a full time job and then working in a bar in the evening and will be in breach of at least one contract, if not both. No idea if it's a crime that could lead to a prison sentence, but it's certainly a sackable offence.

It sounds exhausting tbh but not fraudulent

If you've ever been a 'full time' office based worker you know how artificially stretched an 8 hour shift is by coffee breaks, chats, lunch, over long meetings etc. So all that stretch time isn't there when you WFH so I'd say it's easily possible to work two full time jobs across two time zones if you are well organised and hard working.

and it's your business because?

Also, I've had full time jobs in the past that really weren't full time because I was a fast and efficient operator and eliminated slack from the process. Not all full time office based jobs are equally demanding.

Its not fraudulent to have more than one job. Loads of people do this to pursue hobbies, prepare foe career change, earn extra money because of the cost of living.

Her husband works hard. I expect he wishes he could relax in the evening but the economy has wrecked that. I'm rhe same.

@RisingSunn you are wrong. Interfering was never even a consideration.

Keep your nose out

You know what is fraudulent? Claiming two sets of benefits, that is. Working 2 jobs is amazing and none of your business.