CHAUDHRI: When remote work invites dishonesty

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There is something exciting about autonomy, particularly at work. Being left to your own devices, to follow your own inclinations, and free to think and indulge in your own tastes can lead to great work.

Some thrive in such a world — doing their best work unencumbered. But there are few that receive such autonomy that do not also, at times, abuse the privilege.

Take for example Soham Parekh, Silicon Valley’s latest serial moonlighter who worked for multiple tech start ups simultaneously, unbeknownst to the companies themselves. According to Tech Crunch, Parekh’s multiple jobs went public after the CEO of an image generation startup, Playground AI, posted to social media, in part “PSA: there’s a guy named Soham Parekh (in India) who works at 3-4 startups at the same time…Beware.”

Since then, more and more leaders chimed in online with their own stories of their close encounters with Parekh.

The CEO of Antimetal told Tech Crunch that the company “let Parekh go in early 2023 after they realized he was moonlighting at other companies.”

Similarly, a founding research engineer at ReWorkd, Rohan Pandey, claimed that when Parekh worked for that company he confirmed he was in the U.S., a requirement for getting the job. After ReWorkd noticed something was “off” with Parekh, and suspecting he was not telling the truth, the company used an IP logging platform to confirm his location. It turned out Parekh was actually in Mumbai, India.

The ReWorkd executive also claimed that whenever Parekh was called out for something suspicious in his profile, he always had an “incredibly convincing explanation.”

In response to the moonlighting allegations, Parekh admitted to holding a number of roles simultaneously. In a recent interview with the Technology Business Programming Network, Parekh claimed to work 140 hours a week, and insisted he needed the extra work due to major financial stress. He denied using AI tools to help him or junior staff.

While he claimed to have deferred going to graduate school to work for the start ups, one of his previous employers posted a copy of Parekh’s resume that stated he already had a graduate degree — a clear inconsistency.

With a major push to return to a five-day in-person work week, some employers continue to offer flexibility through hybrid and remote working arrangements. While perhaps on the more extreme side, this story presents a few apt reminders:

Anchor employment around in-person interactions: Organize (at a minimum) biweekly or monthly in-person touchpoints with staff. Ensuring staff is local also helps businesses pivot quickly to in-person work depending on client and customer needs.

Check references: Major professional platforms like Linkedin and Indeed do not confirm the veracity of a profile user’s experience or education. Before making an employment offer, do your own due diligence. Pick up the phone, call references and ask for proof of credentials.

Update employment agreements: Ensure offer letters require an employee’s ‘full time and attention’ for senior roles within your organization. Allow employees the opportunity to take on other work only with your written consent in advance.

Consider a policy on AI: Remote workers could be more prone to use AI to complete employment tasks (and juggle multiple priorities). Have your codes of conduct/agreements updated to govern how and when AI may be used. Test drive a few AI tools that can ensure your company’s confidential information stays secure.

Inherently, autonomy in the workplace is a privilege. With it, comes frequent invitations from temptation and distraction. Only the most conscientious and focused of employees can resist what total autonomy brings.

Have a workplace question? Maybe I can help! Email me at sunira@worklylaw.com and your question may be featured in a future column.

The content of this article is general information only and is not legal advice.

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