The Rise of the "Ghost Employee" Trend
Organisations need to rethink how they measure productivity.
A story went viral through the “Chameleon” podcast on Spotify about a Silicon Valley software engineer who successfully obtained employment at dozens of startups, sometimes working for several at the same time. He reportedly kept securing roles, working them remotely and eventually being dismissed once employers realised he was juggling multiple full-time positions.
More recently, the Daily Mail featured a story of the "CEO of Employment" referring to a viral, unidentified man who had appeared in several photos working different jobs from a mechanic, to news anchor, to firefighter to a personal trainer.
It sounds extreme, but the trend behind it is very real. Since COVID shifted millions of professionals into remote and hybrid work, workplace studies suggest around 5% of white-collar employees may now hold more than one full-time job concurrently. These workers are often referred to as “ghost employees.”
(source - https://journalrecord.com/2025/07/28/gen-z-overemployment-ai/)
They show up to meetings, complete enough work to stay under the radar, but behind the scenes they may be working for multiple employers simultaneously. For some people, it’s about financial security or maximising income. For others, it reflects disengagement, lack of trust or feeling disconnected from their employer.
But for employers, the implications are more complex. Multiple undisclosed jobs can raise questions around:
- productivity and accountability
- confidentiality and conflicts of interest
- burnout and wellbeing
- trust between employer and employee
It also highlights a broader shift in how some professionals view work, less as a single long-term commitment and more as a collection of opportunities.
While most professionals would never consider working multiple full-time jobs, the conversation raises an interesting question about how trust, performance and accountability are managed in modern workplaces.
As remote and hybrid work continue to evolve, organisations may need to rethink how they measure productivity, focusing less on hours and more on outcomes.
