Understanding Overemployment

Implications and Strategic Opportunities

In today's dynamic economic climate, marked by uncertainty and a relentless pursuit of financial security, overemployment has emerged as a significant issue. This phenomenon, where employees hold multiple full-time jobs simultaneously without the knowledge of their employers, is facilitated by the flexibility of remote work. While overemployment presents numerous challenges, it also offers strategic opportunities for businesses willing to adapt and innovate.

The Rise of Overemployment in Modern Workplaces

Overemployment is the practice of being employed by more than one company at the same time, often kept hidden to avoid conflicts of interest and job risks. This trend is driven by stagnant wages, rising living costs, and the desire for financial stability or personal aspirations. The digital landscape has transformed the workspace, enabling individuals to manage dual careers often within overlapping hours, creating a complex web of professional engagements.

The Remote Work Report 2022 found that more than half of knowledge workers surveyed across four regions have a secondary income stream — 51% in Australia, 51% in New Zealand, 56% in Singapore and 66% in Malaysia.

How to Spot Overemployment

Detecting overemployment can be challenging due to its secretive nature. However, employers can look out for several indicators:

• Frequent Absences or Tardiness: Employees struggling to manage multiple job schedules may exhibit inconsistent attendance or frequently request time off.
• Inconsistent Performance: Fluctuations in work quality or productivity might indicate that the employee's focus is divided between multiple commitments.
• Avoidance of Public Visibility: Employees who prefer not to appear on the company's website or social media might be trying to keep a low profile to prevent their dual employment from being discovered.
• Schedule Manipulation: Frequent requests for changing work schedules or preference for working odd hours can be a sign of trying to accommodate another job.
• Unavailability During Work Hours: If an employee is often unreachable during normal working hours, it might suggest they are attending to responsibilities for another employer.

Implications of Overemployment

For Employers

The primary risks of overemployment for employers include conflicts of interest, compromised productivity, and breaches of confidentiality. Undisclosed dual employment can undermine professional relationships and organisational goals, posing significant challenges to maintaining trust and integrity within teams.

For Employees

While overemployment can offer financial benefits and personal growth, it also comes with significant risks such as burnout, stress, and potential job loss if discovered. Balancing multiple jobs requires a high level of coordination and can strain an individual's mental and emotional well-being.

Addressing Overemployment

Creating a Transparent Workplace

Organisations can mitigate the risks associated with overemployment by fostering a culture of transparency and flexibility. Clear policies regarding moonlighting and conflicts of interest should be communicated to all employees. Offering flexible work arrangements and recognising the diverse needs of employees can also reduce the allure of overemployment.

Professional Approach to Suspicions

If overemployment is suspected, it is crucial to approach the situation with sensitivity and professionalism. Avoid direct accusations without substantial evidence and consider discussing observed behaviours with the employee to understand their situation better.

Leveraging Overemployment as a Strategic Advantage

While overemployment poses significant challenges, it can also serve as a catalyst for innovative workforce strategies, such as upskilling and cross-training through structured secondment programs. Companies can harness this trend by providing structured career development opportunities that meet the multifaceted needs of today's workforce.

👉🏼 Introducing Secondments as a Solution

What are Secondments?

Secondments involve temporarily transferring an employee to another department or organisation to perform a different job role. This arrangement can benefit both the home and host organisations, as well as the employee. For companies grappling with overemployment, secondments offer a structured alternative that can enhance skills, provide variety, and align employee interests with organisational needs.

Utilising Platforms like 'Ditto' for Strategic Secondments

Platforms like 'Ditto', a secondments marketplace, revolutionise how companies manage talent and workforce agility. By facilitating the loaning and borrowing of employees among organisations, Suzy talked me through how she has helped businesses:

• Upskill Employees: Ditto enables organisations to send their employees on secondments to other firms where they can acquire new skills and experiences. This helps retain talent by providing growth opportunities and equips the workforce with diverse skills that are beneficial upon their return.
• Cost Savings: For organisations needing to downsize temporarily, sending employees on secondments allows them to save on employment costs while ensuring their employees gain valuable experience elsewhere. Host companies reimburse a significant portion of the secondee's costs, making this a financially viable option for both parties.
• Workforce Flexibility: Ditto provides a flexible solution for companies needing to scale their workforce up or down. By borrowing skilled talent from other companies in the Ditto community, organisations can fill temporary roles more cost-effectively than hiring contractors.
• Cross-Industry Skill Application: Ditto connects companies across various sectors, allowing for the sharing of employees with industry-agnostic skill sets. This exposure to different industries can broaden an employee's perspective and versatility, enhancing their overall value to their primary employer.

"Secondments cause a daisy chain effect... we want to encourage departments to use these positions to generate more secondment opportunities" Global CHRO

Implementing Secondments to Address Overemployment

Strategic Implementation

To effectively implement secondments as a part of addressing overemployment, companies should:

• Identify key areas within their organisation where skill gaps exist or where innovation is needed.
• Select employees who are currently overemployed or those seeking additional challenges and development opportunities.
• Partner with companies through platforms like Ditto to find matching secondment opportunities that align with the employees' career goals and the organisation's strategic objectives.

Support and Guidance

Setting up secondments should be a guided process, with support provided at every step to ensure a smooth transition and integration for the employee into the host organisation. This includes clear communication of expectations, roles, responsibilities, and the duration of the secondment.

Make a difference today

By viewing overemployment as an opportunity rather than a setback, we can foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptability. Secondment programs, facilitated by platforms like Ditto, offer a proactive approach to employee development and workforce management.

These initiatives not only mitigate the risks associated with overemployment but also enhance employee satisfaction and loyalty, turning potential vulnerabilities into strategic advantages for the organisation. Through thoughtful implementation and support, secondments can provide a win-win solution, aligning individual aspirations with organisational goals in a rapidly evolving work environment.