Over-Employment Around the World: India, Europe, the US, and South America
Over-employment means holding two or more full-time jobs at the same time, usually remotely. It should not be confused with openly disclosed freelancing or working for several clients under a B2B arrangement.
Attitudes toward this way of working vary between regions, but industry, contract type, company culture, and how work is organized matter more than nationality.
India
In India, additional work, often referred to as moonlighting, is sometimes seen by employees as a way to increase their income and gain experience. It is particularly common in the IT sector.
Large technology companies, however, tend to take a restrictive approach. Their most common concerns involve conflicts of interest, protecting code and data, and limited employee availability.
Western Europe
Openly disclosed freelancing or additional work performed outside the hours of a primary job is more common. Rest, work-life balance, and compliance with working-time limits are important considerations.
Employers often accept additional work as long as it does not compete with the company, breach the employment contract, or affect the employee’s performance.
Central and Eastern Europe
In the IT industry, it is relatively common to combine employment or a B2B contract with additional projects. One reason is the opportunity to work for international clients offering higher rates.
Having several B2B clients is generally not controversial as long as the contract does not require exclusivity. Secretly holding two full-time jobs during the same working hours is viewed much more negatively.
United States
The United States has developed the most recognizable over-employment culture, centered on combining remote jobs labeled J1, J2, and so on. Supporters of this model emphasize results rather than the number of hours spent in front of a computer.
At the same time, many companies prohibit concurrent employment in their policies. Overlapping working hours, meetings, and commitments to full availability are particularly problematic.
South America
Additional employment is relatively common for economic reasons. In the IT industry, people sometimes combine local employment with contracts for companies in the United States or Europe.
Local employers may tolerate additional assignments, but an international client will usually expect availability during agreed working hours. Time zone differences can sometimes make it easier to keep responsibilities separate.
Three Different Models
- Open moonlighting - additional work performed outside the hours of a primary job. This is the easiest model to accept.
- Hidden over-employment - at least two full-time jobs performed partly during the same working hours. This carries the greatest risk.
- Multiple B2B clients - a standard business model when contracts do not include non-compete or exclusivity clauses.
Where Is the Line?
The number of income sources is not the main problem. Risk arises when an employee conceals a conflict of interest, uses one employer’s data for the benefit of another, or receives pay from several companies for the same stated availability.
Over-employment should therefore be assessed primarily on the terms of the contracts, transparency, information security, and whether obligations are actually fulfilled, rather than on the employee’s nationality.