{"id":3000079756,"date":"2025-08-19T08:32:36","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T12:32:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?p=3000079756"},"modified":"2026-02-13T08:57:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T13:57:39","slug":"moonlighting-job-cheating-or-smart-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/research-insights\/moonlighting-job-cheating-or-smart-strategy","title":{"rendered":"Moonlighting \u2013 job cheating or smart strategy?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Moonlighting is a show. And a movie. But more importantly, it is another way we work. According to the Cambridge Dictionary<\/a> and in the simplest of terms, moonlighting is the act of getting an extra job, often without your main employer\u2019s knowledge, which sounds like nothing new. We, our parents and their parents are used to side gigs<\/a> meant to fructify a hobby or bring extra income. However, moonlighting might just be a tad more than that\u2014and feel different, too, for both employer and employee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting a second job may be a smart strategy if you can manage it. But to your employer, it might look like cheating. Why is that? And why might it still be worth considering? More importantly, how can you ensure your side gig is ethical and worthwhile, especially in the current professional landscape? Let\u2019s explore these questions and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making it official<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We all know a grandma who, when she was young, used to spend hours knitting or sewing after her day job to earn some extra money on the side. Professionals of any kind, think plumbers or electricians, would similarly use their skills outside their day-to-day job to supplement their income. While for some, their side business was an actual, registered company, most just started by helping a friend and building from there, never really referring <\/em>to it as a second job, or treating it as such, for that matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Today\u2014in a highly digitalized world and a much different economic landscape\u2014finding a proper, contract-binding second job is commonplace, or at least more so than you would think. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>, 5.3% of workers had multiple jobs as recently as December 2024. But what about paths like freelancing and other self-employed side hustles? A 2023 SkillSuccess<\/a> survey found that, at the time, 6 out of 10 people were engaged in moonlighting jobs, meaning 56% of workers. Just by comparing these statistics we can safely assume that most of the time, employees do not make it official to their primary employer that they have a second job. Why is that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For obvious reasons, you would think. But no. While some companies may have policies that forbid this practice, moonlighting is not illegal or unethical as far as most US states are concerned. Thus, losing your primary job is not the main concern here. Rather, employees are afraid of potential setbacks they could encounter if found out, such as being disregarded when it comes to opportunities and potential promotions. On the employer\u2019s side, this makes sense for a few reasons\u2014let\u2019s dive into them.<\/p>\n\n\n