In a time of rising prices and inflation, “overemployment” has caught on as a way to capitalize on the flexibility of remote work while generating multiple streams of income.
And in a recent TikTok video, one worker is sharing that sometimes moments of overemployment requires shuffling things around to ensure you get necessary tasks done.
In a video viewed over 2 million times, user Cali (@calirowe) said she works four work-from-home jobs. Her TikTok account appears to be dedicated to hacks on how to land a remote position and best practices for remote work. In various videos, she posts remote job scenarios, appearing to showcase the benefits of having a work-from-home lifestyle.
In her video, Cali, who has 75,000 followers, shows herself working at a desk with multiple computer monitors. She wrote, “When you work 4 [work from home] jobs & call out with [paid time off] from one to pick up [over time] hours for the other while working your $22 a hour no phone email job to make $500 that day.”
“Am I toxic? Lol,” Cali captioned the video.
@calirowe Am I toxic? Lol #WFH #wfhlife #remotework #fyp #wfhhacks ♬ RealestK Toxic – RealestK
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 7,600,00 people in the U.S. hold multiple jobs as of October 2022. Working multiple jobs is nothing new, but the nature of how to balance multiple jobs has changed with some remote workers finding ways to increase their income but not their work output, the Washington Post reported. Challenges can persist, however, when holding multiple remote positions such as maintaining secrecy and boundaries among employers as well as ensuring you are living within your financial means, said Washington Post columnist Karla L. Miller.
“Extra disposable income can lead to lifestyle creep, and overemployed workers may find their extra income going to pay for services, takeout, and other needs they no longer have time or energy to tend to themselves,” Miller said in a recent column.
Commenters on Cali’s post seemed fascinated by her work situation.
“I just want to know what jobs don’t monitor every moment of the work day or have unrealistic expectations for metrics,” one commenter said.
“I can’t even find ONE [work-from-home] job that doesn’t look like a scam and you got 4?!” another said.
“I don’t do customer service but I definitely work two project coordinator jobs for 40k a piece,” a user said, to which Cali issued the following reply: “Please speak up. Because these people really acting like I’m creating some fantasy that doesn’t exist when this is damn near the norm.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Cali via TikTok comment and email.
