Do you know what your employees are doing on their smoke breaks? It might not be what you think.

A recent article on CNN.com caught my eye the other day. This article details the habits of employees like Brian, a 30-something salesperson in NYC who uses the office bathroom as a secret cubicle in order to perform the duties of his second job as a mortgage broker. Brian sends emails, checks voicemail, and makes appointments while in his porcelain hideout; effectively (or not) working two jobs in one 9-to-5 shift.

I’m not advocating you throwing together an investigation a la Gareth Keenan, but the reality is that Brian is not the only one rushing into empty bathroom stalls to close a business deal or fulfill an an urgent order request. Many U.S. workers are attending to their second jobs on their breaks or lunch hour, and many are also doing it without the boss’s knowledge. Some are cramming in all that extra work in order to stopgap the losses they have incurred due to a faltering economy, and others just want to maintain a certain lifestyle that their current (single) job cannot fund alone. Still others – younger workers in particular – may be looking to supplement their experience and add new skills to their resume, or to get into a new career altogether, and are using their “extra” job as a trial run for a long-term career transition.

Business coach John M. McKee confirms that he has noticed an increase in this type of workplace behavior, and believes the trend is being fueled by older workers not able to replace the income of an earlier single job and younger ones seeking to ease into a new vocation, according to the article.

The problem with this growing situation is threefold:

1) It is largely believed that employees should dedicate 100 percent of their time and effort into their primary job – the one at which they are spending 8+ hours a day working. With a second job distracting them and taking up a large chunk of time, thought and work, their second job is likely to suffer.

2) Many employees are not being honest with their bosses while managing this second job. Honesty and communication is one of the most vital aspects of an employee-employer relationship, and if that’s lacking, there’s a bigger issue at hand.

3) Aside from all of this, employees working two jobs in one 8-hour day are likely to become overworked, overstressed, and have little time for social lives. All work and no sleep or life outside of work is also likely to become a demotivator for an employee – and take its toll not only on the employee’s quality of work, but on their general attitude and motivation as well.

What can employers learn from this?

I highlight this article not to cause mass employer panic or for employers to think they have reason to suspect and interrogate their employees regarding their whereabouts throughout the day, but in fact for the opposite reason. This situation may not be eradicated anytime soon, but employers can examine the aspects that they do have control over, such as strength of communication with their employees.

Communication may only peel off a layer of the problem, but it is a significant step toward further progress. If managers have built a rich foundation of communication with their employees, it’s more likely that those employees will feel comfortable discussing their concerns – and that they will tell those managers about any plans to supplement their income with another job. It’s also more likely that those managers will work with their employees to come up with a solution that works for everyone – or at least come to a better understanding and awareness of the situation.

By being cognizant of a growing problem that seems to stem largely from a mix of economical woes and generational trends, employers can start taking measures to address employees’ needs before they turn to that second job.

And more importantly, employees will be able to keep that urgent 3:00 meeting in the meeting room  – and out of the Men’s Room.