Over two-thirds of US workers are working two jobs remotely to make ends meet and to save money for the future. More than half of them admitted that they are more productive while juggling two jobs side-by-side.
At the start of the pandemic, people focused on binging on shows, taking naps, baking, and consuming alcohol to deal with the quarantine. Later, they started adding certain side hustles to their routine to maintain their physical and mental health. Now that people have eased into the concept of hustling from home, many of the respondents revealed that they are working with another company while on the clock with their primary employer. Working two remote jobs at once is the new thing as everyone admits inflation has shredded their budgets and forced them to take steps to be financially secure.
Towards the end of 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported on this new trend. It appeared that white-collar workers from industries ranging from tech to insurance had picked up a second job to double their pay. Full time remote employees feel that it is fine to play the system to their advantage. Those working two full time jobs remotely revealed to the WSJ that they “earn a total of $200,000 to nearly $600,000 a year, including bonuses and stock.”
Often people without the luxury of working from home have held on to two jobs to make ends meet. So, it is not surprising that now people are working two jobs remotely in a highly competitive job market. Their main drivers are more spending money and paying off debt. A vast majority also secretly run their own business as a second job.
The Pros and Cons of Working Two Remote Jobs at Once
In February 2022, ADN revealed that they had received multiple emails and calls from people who confirmed that they are working two remote jobs at once in 2022. As per a survey by ResumeBuilder.com in 2021, only 34% of remote employees holding two full-time jobs log 80 hours weekly while 31% of employees work between 50 and 70 hours and 47% admitted that they work less than 40 hours weekly at both jobs combined. This also resulted in an increase in productivity as workers were forced to prioritize their work and became extremely efficient in the bargain. The added financial security meant that they were less prone to overworking and burnouts. It also resulted in rapid upskilling and cross-learning as they often had two jobs with vastly different KPIs and requirements. Their communication skills improved as they became vigilant of what they are doing and when. Some of the employees admitted that juggling conflicting meetings can get tricky but they manage to pull off the curveballs every once in a while. One participant revealed that he declined one meeting halfway citing Zoom issues.
Working two jobs remotely is not without its fair share of crosses. Scheduling things can often be a fine dance but workers are adapting from using different browsers to using different nicknames for each job. They enjoy the thrill of keeping a secret while giving their best to each job. One worker admitted that he has broken his time into parts to deal with each job. He says that it is difficult at the start as one must figure things out while learning the intricacies but within a month or two the rewards far exceed the trouble taken to manage the two.
For now, it appears that working two remote jobs at once gives people the thrill and money they need to thrive at their workplaces. It is important for employees to stay at the top of their game to be able to successfully manage both as the risks are just as high as the rewards.