Employment non-monogamy

In one of my stories, I mocked the topic of non-monogamy; not so much the concept itself but how folks obsessively write about it.

But I wanted to discuss non-monogamy (ethical non-monogamy! open relationship! polyamory!) at work.

Since my start-up failed a couple of years ago, I’ve been pursuing various part-time projects. It’s not that I don’t want a single well-paid job. I do and am continuing to search. However, the track of consulting led to me think: what if the entire notion of working for a single employer is getting outdated? I don’t have any evidence to suggest it is but the pandemic seems to have caused a major shift in how people work — remotely.

Working remotely allows you to work freely “on the side”. You can work part-time for a different employer or start a side hustle. You can get a start-up going! Here is an article from Wall Street Journal. “Why be good at one job, they thought, when they could be mediocre at two”? That sounds a bit negative, but what if you can do both jobs fine?

Ironically, one of my own part-time gigs was helping one seasoned entrepreneur with his new project — an employee surveillance app. He wouldn’t call it “surveillance” but it’s that. The app shows the level of activity — emails and conference calls — of key team managers. The company tried to conceal the spirit of its product with all kinds of pretty buzz words (prevent burnout! business leaders! we care about your privacy!).