4-Day Workweek Trial Exposes Remote Worker with Second Full-Time Job

The Four-Day Workweek Trial and DeskTime Implementation

Metrickal, a remote recruitment company that employed ten full-time workers and roughly 200 remote freelancers, initiated a project in 2024 to test a four-day workweek without sacrificing output. According to co-founder and commercial director Patrick Synge, the company installed DeskTime—a digital monitoring application that tracks active windows and software use—to evaluate daily workflows and determine how to reduce working hours efficiently.

Prior to the software audit, a remote employee based in Peru had begun drawing scrutiny. While previously regarded as reliable, the worker’s performance had dropped, marked by missed meetings, delayed deliverables, and client complaints. Synge stated that he suspected performance issues but declined to act without verifiable evidence.

Digital Monitoring Excloses Concurrent Full-Time Employment

DeskTime data ultimately provided clarity by recording active sessions on platforms and interfaces tied to a separate American firm where the employee also held a full-time position. According to Metrickal, the logs established that the worker dedicated over half of his working hours to the second job.

Synge noted that the employee likely forgot the monitoring software was operating in the background. While Synge expressed support for secondary income streams or side hustles in general, he emphasized that the direct overlap of two simultaneous full-time jobs created an unsustainable burden on the rest of the team. Because the missed deadlines and delayed tasks required colleagues to pick up extra work, Metrickal terminated the employee’s contract. Documentation reviewed by Science et Vie showed that the worker updated his LinkedIn profile the following day to reflect full-time employment with the American company identified through the software.

Wider Context of Multiple Jobholding in Spain

The incident coincides with a broader rise in concurrent employment across Spain. Data from an InfoJobs study cited by Jeux Vidéos indicates that a portion of Spanish workers hold at least two jobs. Among those surveyed, some attribute the arrangement to insufficient primary earnings, while others actively seek supplemental income.