Remote employees are working multiple jobs without their employers knowing

As Gen Z and remote workers juggle two, three, or even four full-time positions simultaneously, companies face unprecedented risks to productivity, culture, and intellectual property. Here’s what business leaders need to know about the polyworking phenomenon—and how to protect their organizations.

The remote work revolution promised flexibility and better work-life balance. But it also created an unexpected challenge that’s quietly draining company resources and threatening business operations: polyworking employees who secretly juggle multiple full-time positions.

Jennifer Barnes, CEO of Optima Office, a fractional controller and HR consulting firm with over 100 employees, has witnessed this phenomenon firsthand. Her company works with businesses ranging from startups to $50 million enterprises, giving her unique insight into how polyworking is reshaping the modern workplace—and why most companies aren’t prepared for it.

“Polyworking just means that you’re working multiple jobs at the same time. You’re not solely focused on one full-time job. You have two or three, and in some crazy cases, you might have four or five positions,” Barnes explains. What makes this trend particularly concerning is that many employers have no idea their full-time employees are splitting their attention—and their loyalty—among multiple companies.

Why Polyworking Has Exploded in Remote Work Environments

The perfect storm for polyworking emerged from several converging factors. Remote work eliminated traditional oversight, while labor shortages gave employees unprecedented leverage. But Barnes points to a deeper issue: many employers simply aren’t paying attention to how their remote teams actually spend their time.

“A lot of it is employers not having accountability with their team and the remote environment where the employers have no idea what an employee is doing for six, seven, eight hours every single day,” Barnes notes. “They might give them a couple of tasks; they get those tasks done and the employer’s happy.”

This lack of accountability creates opportunities for employees to complete their assigned work in just 10-20 hours per week while collecting full-time salaries—then fill the remaining time with additional jobs. The rise of AI and automation tools has only accelerated this trend, allowing workers to complete tasks faster than ever while their employers remain unaware.

The Hidden Costs: What Polyworking Really Costs Companies

The financial impact of polyworking employees extends far beyond paying for work that isn’t being done. Barnes estimates that companies with significant polyworking populations are essentially paying “two to three or four times more than you should for that task to get completed.”

But the costs don’t stop at wasted payroll expenses. Companies face several serious risks:

Intellectual Property Theft: When employees work for competitors or start their own businesses on company time, they may be using proprietary information to give competitors an edge. “What if on the side they’re working for you 20 hours a week, but then they’re doing some writing or some blogging or some social media other stuff as a second job. Then they’re stockpiling money so that they can compete against you or start their own company,” Barnes warns.

Cultural Deterioration: Polyworking employees typically become less responsive and collaborative, which can poison team dynamics. “If you’ve got somebody who’s working two, three, four jobs, they’re likely not going to be responsive. Their collaboration skills are probably low. Their communication skills amongst their coworkers isn’t anywhere near ideal,” Barnes explains. “And that starts to sink a company’s culture.”

Compliance Issues: Depending on the industry, employees working for competitors could create regulatory violations or conflicts of interest that put the company at legal risk.

The Employee Perspective: Economic Pressure Drives Desperate Measures

While Barnes doesn’t excuse polyworking, she acknowledges that companies often create the conditions that drive employees to seek multiple income sources. High costs of living combined with stagnant wages have left many workers, particularly Gen Z employees, struggling to make ends meet on a single salary.

“I think so many companies underpay, and they undervalue their team,” Barnes admits. “If your employees don’t feel cared about and they’re not getting paid well, then good for them that they’re taking matters into their own hands and they’re working another job or two.”

This perspective highlights a critical point: polyworking isn’t always about greed or dishonesty. Often, it’s about economic survival in an environment where traditional employment doesn’t provide sufficient financial security.

Legal Protection: Contract Language That Actually Works

Most companies’ employee handbooks and contracts aren’t equipped to handle polyworking scenarios. Barnes recommends explicit language that requires disclosure of outside work, particularly work that could be competitive.

At Optima Office, their employment agreements clearly state “that any side work or any positions, especially any positions that might be competitive or similar in nature to what they’re doing for us, need to be disclosed and failure to do so will result in termination.”

This approach allows for flexibility while maintaining transparency. Barnes notes that they occasionally allow employees to maintain existing client relationships if disclosed upfront, but secret polyworking results in immediate termination.

“If that same person took on two additional clients behind our back, didn’t tell us about it, and was starting their own bookkeeping business, then slowly their time became less and less for Optima and they weren’t dedicated and available to our clients, that would result in termination if we were to find out,” she explains.

Building Accountability: The EOS Solution

Rather than simply detecting and punishing polyworking, Barnes advocates for creating systems that make it impossible for employees to coast while collecting full-time pay. She recommends implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), which creates structured accountability throughout the organization.

“EOS is an entrepreneurial operating system [that] adds a layer of accountability in every department. And it makes sure that people that have quarterly goals and yearly initiatives goals are accomplishing things. And that everybody’s held accountable,” Barnes explains.

The key components of an effective accountability system include:

• Clear roles and responsibilities matrices for every position
• Defined deliverables with realistic time estimates
• Regular check-ins to assess workload and job satisfaction
• Manager empowerment to make decisions and hold employees accountable
• Transparent organizational vision that aligns everyone toward common goals

The Technology Factor: AI and Automation Change Everything

One aspect of polyworking that many employers haven’t considered is how artificial intelligence and automation tools are changing the game. Employees can now complete tasks in a fraction of the time they once required, but if employers don’t adjust their expectations accordingly, they’re creating opportunities for polyworking.

“If the employer was really focused on how long those should tasks take, can they be automated, and is my employee possibly using AI for those tasks, then it would severely cut down the amount of people that are now working multiple positions,” Barnes notes.

Smart employers need to regularly reassess job responsibilities and workloads, taking into account how new technologies might be changing the actual time required to complete work.

Creating a Culture Worth Staying For

The most effective defense against polyworking isn’t surveillance or punishment—it’s creating an environment where employees want to focus their energy on a single organization. This requires more than just competitive pay.

“Making them feel cared about and valued, is critical to maintaining a positive culture and an efficient workforce,” Barnes emphasizes. Companies that invest in employee development, provide clear career paths, and create genuinely collaborative environments are less likely to see their employees seeking fulfillment elsewhere.

The Future of Work: Adaptation or Elimination?

Looking ahead, Barnes believes the prevalence of polyworking will largely depend on how employers respond. “I think it depends on what employers continue to allow. And the stricter and more tightened up that employers get, that they’re really conscious of it, then less it’ll happen.”

However, she also warns that companies that fail to address underlying issues—poor pay, lack of accountability, insufficient workloads—will continue to see employees find creative ways to supplement their income and fill their time.

For business leaders, the message is clear: the polyworking phenomenon is both a threat and a wake-up call. Companies that respond by improving their accountability systems, investing in their employees, and creating genuinely engaging work environments will emerge stronger. Those that ignore the trend or address it only through punishment risk losing their best talent and seeing their company culture deteriorate.

The remote work revolution isn’t going backward, but neither should companies accept that they have no control over how their employees spend their paid time. With the right systems, policies, and culture, businesses can harness the benefits of flexible work while ensuring their employees remain focused, productive, and committed to the organization’s success.

Recommendations for Business Leaders

• Implement clear accountability systems with defined roles, responsibilities, and deliverables
• Update employment contracts to require disclosure of outside work, especially competitive activities
• Regularly assess workloads and adjust for AI/automation capabilities
• Invest in employee satisfaction through competitive pay and genuine care
• Create strong manager training to empower oversight without micromanagement
• Monitor for warning signs like decreased responsiveness or collaboration
• Consider EOS or similar systems to create organization-wide accountability

The polyworking trend reveals fundamental flaws in how many companies manage remote workers. Organizations that address these issues proactively will not only reduce polyworking risks but build stronger, more engaged teams in the process.