A man who had been quietly juggling several high-paying remote jobs says he made a huge mistake: he told his dad. Now, he fears the secret getting out could cost him everything.
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He Told His Dad. His Dad Told Everyone Else.
Posting on Reddit’s r/Overemployed forum, the man shared how his father unintentionally blew his cover. “Told my dad, and he mentioned it to some of his friends at an event,” he wrote. “Obviously he was saying it with pride like ‘my son makes XX a year doing OE.’”
But things quickly spiraled. One of his dad’s friends shared the info with their own adult child. And during a game night at the original poster’s house, that person dropped a bomb in front of everyone: “How are you broke if you work five different jobs?”
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That moment, he said, “outed me in front of everyone. Now I’m anxious as those people might tell even more people. It’s a domino effect and I hate it.”
Although he hasn’t been caught by any employer yet, he said the damage is done: “I feel like the grenade trigger has been pulled and it’s only a matter of time now.”
‘My Own Father’
OP said he had explicitly warned his parents to keep quiet. “My own father.. ugh! I even specifically told them both to keep shut, but they’re old,” he said. “It’s my own damn fault for breaking rule No. 1.”
Living with his parents has made the secret harder to protect. “Hard to not tell them when I live in the same house,” he explained. “They see my room, and wall of screens, and constant double/triple-booked meetings.”
Even worse, he says his dad didn’t just mention the number of jobs but talked about his son’s total income. “My bi-weekly paycheck is almost people’s average yearly [income] here,” he added. That detail, in a small town, made it all the more damaging.
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The OP also mentioned he lives frugally and takes care of his parents. “We all live frugally—besides some splurging on trips every now and then. I have everything paid off, and we’re not rich, but comfortable.”
Advice From Others: Lie, Deflect, Deny
The overemployment community immediately rallied around him, sharing similar stories and advice. Some suggested he pretend he quit or got laid off. Others recommended saying he was just exaggerating or joking.
“Tell him you decided to quit and it was too much,” one person advised. “Or tell him you got caught. Whatever you do, tell him you don’t OE anymore.”
“My mom swears up and down she can keep a secret,” another added. “But I listen to her blabbing other people’s business all the damn time. So… yeah, can’t trust her with OE.”
For one person, it’s straightforward: “A secret is only a secret when one person knows. When two people know it’s gossip.”
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Broke Or Boasting?
Some called out the original poster for claiming to be broke despite making $20,000 a month. “Bro, under what circumstances were you saying you were broke?” one asked. “You’ve posted in this sub making $20K/month from 3 jobs. Am I crazy for thinking you deserve the anxiety if you’re going around telling people you’re broke making $240K/year?”
In hindsight, the lesson is obvious: overemployment thrives on discretion. Even well-meaning loved ones can unintentionally jeopardize a setup that relies on secrecy. The original poster now knows firsthand that one loose comment can snowball into a real threat.
As one person said, “If you can’t keep your own secret, how can you expect someone else to?”
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