Why I Think My Co-Worker is Working a Second Job
I can’t figure out how to handle and it’s driving me crazy
Dwayne (not his real name) was the guy I once thought might replace me as technical lead. He is a talented Java programmer who has great UI skills, can write complicated SQL joins, and used to write a lot of code quickly.
When Covid lockdown began, he was wrapping up one project and asked me for work on what everyone else was busy with. I gave him the work item that I was just finishing the design document for. The web pages I had mocked up still felt clunky. Dwayne came up with an alternative layout that we liked better.
Dwayne coordinated his and one other programmer’s work though development and test. It was a great job and I commented to my boss that I had high expectations already, but Dwayne had exceeded them.
I mention all this because it tells me that Dwayne can work well remotely.
But Something Changed
When that first project in the pandemic was wrapping up we had something else that my boss wanted done quickly. He asked for Dwayne in particular and I figured, sure, why not.
We originally hoped that project would take about 3 months instead it ended up taking over 7 months and had pieces that got pushed off into another release.
I kept wondering what was wrong. I discussed the project lagging behind with the project manager a few times. He commented that a lot of people were getting burnt out on working from home.
“It’s harder to be motivated when you never go to the office, right?”
Sure. And a decline in performance I could understand. We all have some slumps. Maybe the project didn’t really hold Dwayne’s interest.
But the next project was the same way. Or perhaps worse. Dwayne had to create a technical document as part of his current assignment and week after week there were only a handful of words added or changed. Mostly incorporated review comments.
My project manager said it first
“I wonder if some of these guys are holding two jobs. I saw an article about technical people holding two jobs.”
According to a 2021 Forbes article, “Around 50% of the respondents to the survey said that they’ve worked for another company, while on the clock with their employer.”
I started researching more. I found that the pandemic had made the practice of 2 full-time technical jobs much more common. Overemployed.com is a website dedicated to teach people how to cheat two employers. Ouch.
There must be SOME way to figure out if this is going on, right? I Googled Dwayne’s full name. His LinkedIn profile still showed our employer. Maybe I was wrong.
There could be other explanations
Dwayne might just be watching his toddler or suffering from depression. He might not be working two jobs. But something other than work has his attention.
I tried reaching out in a non-judgmental way. I told Dwayne that he “seemed less engaged” and that I wanted to be sure he was getting enough guidance.
“Oh yes,” he assured me. And then he made a comment about how he and another worker should start making very good progress.
But they didn’t. Week after week the progress on Dwayne’s work items has been glacially slow. Dwayne had been a shining star a few years ago.
Too Many Red Flags
I have to believe he’s working another job. Once he asked for a couple days off “for some doctor appointments for my wife.” But he only asked for the time off a day in advance. Who can arrange multiple doctor appointments that occur all day in the next 24–48 hours. It just didn’t add up.
I actually hoped he was interviewing for a new job and was planning to leave. But he didn’t.
A couple times he has asked for meetings to be moved. He doesn’t do it if our boss is attending the meeting.
Part of the problem is our employer does not have regular performance reviews. It is possible, no it is likely that you might work for the company for 10 years and never sit down with your manager and discuss your performance. I don’t have any formal mechanism to bring up the change in performance or make others aware.
No Great Conclusion
I don’t believe I have any great options. If my boss asks me about assignments, I’ll tell him the truth that Dwayne has gone from being a top performer to a weak contributor.
I read a post about a company that had hired a private investigator to try and determine if an employee had a second job. They were doing that because they feared the employee would argue wrongful termination otherwise.
About all I can think of is to apply to the guy’s pride, to remind him of how talented he is and that I think he’s capable of more than he is currently doing. I’ve heard some folks get tired of the double-life of having two employers. I hope Dwayne does.
Anyone with a suggestion, please offer it in the comments. I don’t like micro-managing and I don’t like feeling that I’m being taken advantage of.
Updated January 2023 — Dwayne has resigned from our company. He received a lucrative job offer. My suspicion is that he was doing some work — maybe a contracting position — for his new employer while still collecting a paycheck from our employer. I’m relieved to not deal with this situation any more.
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