Moonlighting on the Rise

Today’s higher cost of living is causing many people to go out and get second jobs. In a 2015 survey, it was revealed that more than one third of people who already have full-time jobs work on the side and of those, more than 90% say that they will continue working the second job throughout 2016. The reasons why Americans are moonlighting vary, but the same survey also found that more than 50% of moonlighters do so in order to deal with the rising cost of living.

If you suspect your employee is moonlighting and it is affecting their work you can discuss their poor job performance. If they admit to having a second job, there are a few routes you can take. There is always the option to fire them; but make sure you are doing so because their job performance is suffering and not because of the 2nd job since, chances are, there is no rule against moonlighting in your employee handbook.

More apt, though, is that you just wish that your employee’s performance improves. In which case, you can discuss why they are moonlighting in the first place. If their reason is, like so many, that they need to supplement their income; you can always offer them incentives such as bonuses to meet certain goals or expectations. More so, if they are moonlighting because they need the challenge, you could offer them a chance to move up in the ladder, such as becoming management. If neither of these options are a good fit for you, you can write up your employee for their suffering job performance, and warm them that if their moonlighting continues to affect their work, they will be terminated. In some cases, your employee might quit their second job. However, as Rieva Lesonsky in the article, “Are your Employees Two-Timing You” always take into consideration, that if forced to choose between two jobs, your employee might choose the other one. After all, your business might be the proverbial other woman.

“Are your Employees Two-Timing You” Lesonsky, Rieva. Smallbiztrends.com Jan. 27, 2016.