Remote Work Ethics: Is It Okay to Take “Hush Trips” & Hold Multiple Full-Time Jobs?

The remote work world has provided workers with renewed work-life balance, more time with family, and a way to circumnavigate a commute. However, a lack of supervision with regard to telecommuting has led to two other trends: hush trips and multiple full-time jobs. While some workers see this as a way to level the playing field with regard to a lack of perceived benefits and stagnant wages, employers view these as serious breaches of trust. So who’s on the right side of the argument?

Remote Work Ethics and Expectations

Before diving into the concept of multiple remote jobs and hush trips, defining what constitutes remote work ethics and employer expectations is crucial. Although the advent of remote work was mostly the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers maintained a remote or hybrid work policy due to its popularity.

The only problem is that expectations can fall by the wayside. Employers are seen as villains if they track their employees’ work, as well as if they decide to move people back into the office. As a result, employers have trouble with supervision and monitoring productivity. Moreover, the loss in talent acquisition as a result of limiting remote work opportunities can have employees scuffling to find qualified workers.

Employees, on the other hand, have started to see remote work as a right rather than a privilege. The root of this idea comes from several underlying causes, including wage stagnation compared to production, a lack of promotion opportunities or a perceived race to the bottom, limited or lackluster benefits, and a lack of job security.

Moreover, many employees have discovered that they can complete all of their tasks in a fraction of the time at home. The debate is still out whether this is due to fewer distractions, increased productivity from home, or whether employers have poor or misguided productivity requirements. Still, studies have shown that remote workers tend to be more productive than their in-office colleagues by as much as 13% — only to have their efforts go unnoticed.

How Do People Work Multiple Remote Jobs?

Working two remote jobs is surprisingly easy if you have the skills and your job is in demand, but the approach can vary. You already have employment at one job, and you find out that you can easily work two jobs for one of two reasons. The first reason is that your initial job doesn’t take you a full week to complete. For example, you may have had to go into the office 40 hours a week in the past, but you find that you can easily complete your work in 20 hours from home. This leaves the window open for a second position, whether it’s employment, freelance work, or a contract.

The second reason is a bit more complex. Many remote workers who have two full-time jobs often feel like they have no room for promotion and their work is often overlooked. If they can do the bare minimum at one job, they can do the same at a second job, effectively doubling their income.

Is It Unethical to Work Two Full-Time Remote Jobs?

Working two full-time jobs might be considered unethical, but it’s all in the eye of the beholder. If you’re an employee who completes all of their work in a fraction of the time, why should you not be able to reap the benefits of your speed and skill? However, employees that do the absolute bare minimum to lower expectations and then use that time to work another job could certainly be accused of poor remote work ethics.

You’d have a hard time finding any employer who wants their employees working more than one job at the same time, especially if their performance suffers as a result. Yet in the remote world, this is increasingly difficult to monitor, especially when workers are keeping up with projects and meeting deadlines.

Aside from its somewhat unethical nature, working two remote jobs isn’t illegal in the act itself. However, it can pose some legal issues. Many companies have a non-compete clause, a non-disclosure agreement, and a certain number of hours the employee has to work in a week to fulfill their contractual obligations. When an employee who works two jobs breaches this contract, it can lead to termination or — in a worst-case scenario — a lawsuit for divulging company information and secrets. That is to say — it’s a definite gamble.

What Is a Hush Trip?

Working multiple jobs as a remote employee is a straightforward idea, albeit one wrapped in remote work ethics. However, hush trips are a bit more tricky to label. A hush trip is when an employee takes a vacation without telling their employer while also working. It’s similar to a workcation or digital nomadism in a sense, as it allows workers to explore and vacation while also completing their assigned tasks.

Is a Hush Trip Ethical?

Hush trips aren’t necessarily unethical, but that depends on who you ask. From an employee’s perspective, you’re still getting your work done and attending meetings, so what difference does geographic location make? If you’re just as productive from a hotel room in Europe as you are in your home office, why should your employer care?

Employers may see things differently, but the devil is in the details. If an employee is keeping up with the workload, why wouldn’t they disclose the trip? The other question is whether an employee is actually working the number of hours agreed upon in their contract. If employees aren’t working the entire time and are exploring their destination instead, this certainly flirts with poor remote work ethics.

Policies, Company Culture, and Employee Engagement

Debating whether hush trips and working two jobs violate remote work ethics is a never-ending argument. In many cases, both sides are unlikely or unwilling to see the opposing view. But delving a bit deeper into these activities shows a greater problem. When employees feel the right to work multiple jobs at a fraction of the hours or go on unannounced trips, there’s a serious divide between employees and employers. It’s a lack of respect and an overwhelming sense of entitlement, but something that’s not entirely the fault of the employee.

Employers must learn that their company policies and culture define how employees behave and their employees’ level of engagement. Without a dynamic document that outlines the expectations of employees or fosters a sense of pride in employees, companies run the risk of hush trips and disengaged workers far into the future.

The major issue is that employers often feel that they have more important matters than babysitting their adult workers. With inflation on the rise, less consumer and business spending, and other downward economic trends, employers aren’t putting their expectations out there. Furthermore, any expectations are lost without management to enforce them, offer support for employees, and praise strong work. It’s a never-ending battle that won’t change until employers put more emphasis and attention on human capital.

What’s Next for Remote Work Ethics?

Remote work isn’t going anywhere. It’s a perk that attracts the most talented individuals in a particular job or industry. Although working two jobs is certainly unethical and can even be illegal, hush trips teeter more toward the direction of a victimless crime. The truth of the matter is that these situations will continue for the foreseeable future without accountability, company culture, and an inward look into remote work ethics by both employees and employers.

Will that day ever come? No one’s really sure. If you’re an employer, take a hard look at how you’re treating your employees. If you’re an employee, you may have better alternatives through another company or another job.

Do you have more than one employer? What are the pros and cons of holding multiple jobs? Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to share your thoughts and tips. We’d love to hear from you!