Remote and startup employees are increasingly holding down multiple full-time jobs simultaneously, drawing six-figure paychecks and prompting widespread industry debate.
At a Glance
- Reddit discussions reveal thousands of tech workers holding 3–5 full-time remote jobs for combined six-figure salaries.
- Software engineer Soham Parekh admitted to working at 3–4 startups at once, citing dire financial circumstances.
- Founders report Parekh passed technical interviews but was dismissed for underperformance and undisclosed moonlighting.
- Some overemployed workers have earned up to $500,000 annually across multiple positions.
- While financially rewarding, experts warn overemployment can mask burnout, ethical concerns, and contract breaches.
The Parekh Case Sparks Debate
Indian software engineer Soham Parekh grabbed headlines after Playground AI founder Suhail Doshi exposed his simultaneous employment across multiple startups. Parekh confirmed the claims in a candid “TBPN” podcast interview, stating he took on multiple roles due to financial pressure and “chaotic” scheduling demands.
Companies including Digger, Leaping AI, Synthesia, and Antimetal all confirmed employing Parekh—who aced technical interviews but soon raised red flags due to missed meetings and performance inconsistencies. While California law doesn’t prohibit holding multiple jobs, hidden moonlighting triggered contract breaches and swift terminations.
Parekh admitted he handled all the coding himself and didn’t delegate tasks or use AI tools, but conceded the practice was unsustainable long-term.
A Broader Overemployment Movement
The case has spotlighted the booming “overemployment” subculture. Reddit’s r/Overemployed community includes tens of thousands of users who share tips for maintaining multiple jobs. One self-described “serial overemployed” tech worker claims he earned over $1 million by holding five jobs concurrently in 2022.
Others, like a millennial profiled by Business Insider, secretly earned $500,000 across three tech jobs from 2021 to 2023. These workers cite high living costs, job insecurity, and financial goals like early retirement as motivation.
Watch a report: Overemployment: How Remote Workers Take on 2+ Jobs (and 2+ Salaries).
The rise of remote-first work and lack of physical oversight created ideal conditions for multi-job moonlighting—though many admit it’s mentally taxing. As Wired notes, burnout, deception, and legal gray zones are growing concerns among employers and workers alike.
Risks, Rewards, and What’s Next
Overemployment offers major financial upside—some workers pay off debt, buy homes, or accelerate wealth-building. But it also opens companies to productivity losses and trust breakdowns. Managers often discover overemployed staff only after ghosting patterns emerge or team output suffers.
Legal consequences are rare but contract violations are real: exclusivity clauses and non-competes can still trigger termination. With startup employers increasingly burned, some are turning to surveillance software and legal revisions to prevent secret multi-employment.
As the workforce rethinks loyalty and compensation norms, overemployment raises critical questions about equity, labor ethics, and the fragile boundaries of modern work.
