How to Find Out if Your Employee is Working Elsewhere
There are many reasons why an employer might want to see if their employee is working elsewhere. Whether it’s missed meetings or sub-par work, there may be many indications that an employee is trying to double up on their work – and an employer needs to find out ASAP. But how?
There are four ways to find out if your employee is working elsewhere. Checking social media, like LinkedIn or Facebook, is one way. You can also run a background or credit check with your employee’s permission or ask the employee or fellow employees directly. Your last (and best) option is to use a computer monitoring service.
Do you think your employee is overextending with a second job, and it’s harming their work performance in your workplace? Then you need to find out whether your employee is working elsewhere. Find out the top four methods below.
Before You Check for Second Employment
Do you want to find out if your employee is working elsewhere? You first need to know whether or not your employee has signed a non-compete agreement or exclusivity contract. If the employee has not signed either of these documents, it is technically legal for them to have more than one job at a time.
However, it’s understandable that you’d want to check if they are working another job in the case of poor performance. If that’s the case, note that you will be unable to legally fire them for working a second job. Instead, they will need to remedy the situation or be let go for other issues, such as lack of performance.
Four Ways to Find Out if Your Employee is Working Elsewhere
You need to know if your employee works elsewhere, especially if it hinders their work performance. While finding out about their second job might not be the most straightforward task, there are many different methods you can try to uncover their secret employment.
1. Check Social Media
One of the fastest and easiest ways to find out if your employee works elsewhere is to look them up on social media. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google Plus are the best websites to seek out. People tend to list their current (and past) employment on these sites, making them a gold mine for information.
There is one crucial thing to keep in mind, though: the content may not be up to date. Therefore, if you search their name, the employment displayed may differ from your workplace. However, this may be because the individual still needs to input their new work information.
The best thing to do is double-check the employment dates listed on the profile. If it’s recent, and their position at your workplace is in the “past” or “current” section alongside another job, it may indicate they are working elsewhere.
You can also call and ask the employer if the individual is currently employed. They won’t be able to give out too much information regarding the person, but they should be able to inform you if they are presently employed in the establishment.
2. Run a Background Check/Credit Check
Another great way to know whether or not your employee is working elsewhere is to run a background check or credit check. Both these types of consumer reports have a wealth of information, such as current and past employment.
However, it is essential to note that you cannot up and do a background or credit check whenever you’d like. You must get written permission from your employee to run these consumer reports, so have a reason for running the report before acquiring signatures.
One easy way to avoid potential conflict regarding consumer reports is to have regular screenings written in your company policies. That way, you can simply state the reports are company policy and must be done every so often.
Once the employee signs for the screening, you can send the information to a third-party source and await the response. Sift through the report to discover their employment status.
3. Ask the Employee Directly and/or Ask Other Employees
When you want answers, the best thing to do is ask questions.
Now, that doesn’t mean you need to ask your employee whether or not they have another job (unless you want to be brazen about it). You can simply mention that their work performance has been suffering, and they seem preoccupied, and you’d like to know why. This gives them the chance to come forward and discuss remedies.
The other option is to ask other employees. Employees tend to share information with employees around them. Whether or not these employees will be honest with you is another thing, but it’s worth the shot.
4. Monitor Your Employee’s Computer
Your last (and best) option is to monitor your employee’s computer with a service like Wolfeye. This could uncover three things:
- Your employee has a side gig they’re doing during work hours.
One thing you may discover is that your employee is completing side gigs during work hours using their computer. This is more likely to happen in work-from-home situations, when employees may think nobody is watching.
- Your employee is emailing other workplaces.
You may also find that your employee is conversing with another place of employment. This could be done through email or other apps, like Slack, where companies converse with their employees.
- Your employee is searching for other places of employment.
In this situation, the employee likely hasn’t left – yet. However, it will be a clear indicator that they’re searching for a new job or a second job, and you can keep an eye on it. (An email will likely be sent regarding interviews, background checks, and employment.)
You Can Find Out if Your Employee is Working Elsewhere in Many Ways!
If you think your employee is working elsewhere, you have options. Start by checking their social media websites for signs of employment. Request a consumer report or ask the employee directly. You can also set up a monitoring device on the employee’s computer to discover whether or not they’re engaged in side gigs or second jobs.
