Five Florida deputies were arrested this month after an internal tip led the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) to investigate suspected cases of “double dipping.”
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The deputies are accused of submitting false time sheets to the NCSO that included time they were working for a private employer, breaking state laws and violating NCSO policy.
Deputy Henry Holmberg, Sergeant Brian Blackwell, Sergeant Wilfred Quick, Sergeant Joshua Huffmon and Sergeant Kellam Paolillo have been fired and face felony official misconduct and theft charges, according to news reports from First Coast News and News4JAX.
The investigation also found a sixth employee, Deputy Michael Brandon, guilty of submitting false time sheets including time when he was at home, but he accepted a pre-trial diversion disposition to avoid arrest. He has also been terminated.
The total amount said to be stolen from NCSO and taxpayers is $14,007.86
“A dollar is too much,” said News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney. “It’s a slap in the face of men and women in law enforcement who do it the right way, and those who don’t, tarnish the badge.”
What is ‘double dipping’?
Time theft — taking long lunches, logging off before the workday is over, or doing household tasks while you’re supposed to be working — became a major concern for employers during the pandemic.
Another more serious form of time theft is “double dipping,” and it involves being on the clock for one employer but working for another. In 2023, consulting firm McKinsey estimated that for a median-size S&P 500 company, 5% of its workforce is engaged in this practice. That report, which surveyed workers from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Singapore and the U.K., defines double dipping as “full-time salaried workers who hold two or more jobs simultaneously, likely without their employers’ knowledge.”
The NCSO said the deputies are allowed to “moonlight” or work a second job while off-duty, but it was “impermissible to be paid for an on-duty shift while being paid for an off-duty employment job at the same time.”
But when could simply having a second job land you in hot water?
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Could you get in trouble for a second job?
U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics show that 8.7 million Americans work more than one job, with as many as 447,000 people working two full-time jobs.
Having more than one job itself is not illegal. However, depending on state laws around non-compete agreements, workers could run into trouble. If you’re considering a second job, the first thing you should do is review any employment contracts you’ve signed or codes of conduct from your employer and check if there are policies prohibiting secondary employment. This map tracks state non-compete laws.
While some online communities advocating “overemployment” have sprung up since the pandemic — where proponents detail how they work multiple jobs at once — there are risks to this practice, and not just that you could violate your employment contract. Burnout is a real risk when taking on more than one job, as is the risk of your work suffering as a result of being overextended.
If you get caught, you may be terminated for cause, which could mean no employee benefits like severance pay or notice.
Hackney said the Florida deputies’ actions could also cost them their pensions.
“So, if you’ve worked your entire career and do this towards the end of it, and the city wants to pursue this, you can lose everything you put into that pension over something like this,” he said.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
