A remote worker who had been juggling multiple full-time jobs shared that his secret hustle finally unraveled in the worst way possible. He was fired from three companies in a single day, all because of a LinkedIn profile.
It All Started With A Search
The ambitious professional explained on Reddit’s r/overemployed that things started spiraling when a vice president at his second job tried to look him up on LinkedIn and couldn't find him.
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“Woke up this morning to a fun impromptu meeting with HR from J2,” the poster wrote. “Turns out, our VP couldn't find me on LinkedIn, so they messaged the recruiting firm who hired me and saw J1 on my profile. I was terminated immediately.”
When he asked if they planned to contact the first job, they told him they were “in the process of doing so.” Within an hour, job one fired him, too. Not long after, job three also got wind of the situation and shut him out.
“Really blows because I was doing well in each role and honestly I never expected to be caught,” he wrote. “F*** LinkedIn.”
The LinkedIn Problem
Many in the comment section blamed the visibility of his LinkedIn profile. Multiple people said they had either deleted or hidden theirs completely to avoid exactly this kind of situation. One person said, “LinkedIn seems to be the top reason why people get caught… Why people keep their LI active is beyond crazy, it’s just stupid.”
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Another advised, “Hibernate your LinkedIn account instead of just blocking people from J1.”
Some suggested keeping a vague or stale profile with no current job info. Others joked that the safest excuse is telling employers you quit social media because of a stalker.
Is It Illegal To Have Two Jobs?
One question that kept coming up: is this even illegal?
The short answer is no. Holding more than one full-time job isn't against the law in the U.S., but it can violate company policies or signed agreements. As one commenter put it, “It kinda just depends on contracts and company policies.”
Several people pointed out that performance usually matters more. But if someone starts missing meetings or showing signs of distraction, managers may start digging. That seemed to be the case here.
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The Double Standard
Frustration boiled over in the thread as commenters pointed to the hypocrisy. Executives can sit on multiple boards and take on side gigs, yet rank-and-file workers are expected to give full loyalty to just one employer.
Despite the rough day, the original poster acknowledged the experience was eye-opening. “Things didn't end the way I wanted and it's been a pretty good learning experience,” he wrote in a final update. “It's definitely time to rethink things.”
Some encouraged him to explore consulting or self-employment, where managing multiple clients is common and expected.
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