Man with Four Council Jobs at Once Guilty of Fraud – How Employers Can Prevent This

Man with Four Council Jobs at Once Guilty of Fraud – How Employers Can Prevent This

A shocking story hit the headlines when a Gloucestershire man was found guilty of fraud for concurrently holding four different council jobs, being paid for hours he wasn’t actually working. This case uncovers a serious blind spot in hiring practices—but it could have been prevented.

🕵️‍♂️ How It Happened

• The man had secured multiple contracts with local councils—Tewkesbury, Stroud, Forest of Dean—and was drawing full-time pay for each role.

• No cross-checking or communication occurred between the councils, and his timesheets went unquestioned.

• The fraud was only uncovered after a whistleblower and further investigation at Gloucester Crown Court

✅ Better Vetting Could Have Prevented It

For Employers:

1. Identity & employment history checks should detect overlapping work.

2. Reference enquiries can reveal current roles or commitments.

3. Timesheet validation and spot checks prevent inflated hours and duplicate claims.

4. Mandatory declaration clauses in employment contracts would compel transparency.

📄 Sample Employment Contract Clause – Secondary Employment

Here’s a clause you can add to your contracts to ensure employees declare other roles:

👩‍💼 Guidance for Employees

• Declare early: It’s far better to share your outside work upfront than be caught hiding it.

• Check your contract: Understand clauses on exclusivity, conflicts, and declaration obligations.

• Avoid overlap: Never work two jobs during the same hours or use protected resources.

• Stay transparent: Employers are more flexible if they know and approve second roles.

🛡️ Why This Matters

• Prevents abuse of resources and payroll systems (e.g., duplicate hours)

• Protects confidentiality and aligns with non-compete requirements

• Maintains trust inside your organization—and upholds reputation

• Avoids legal trouble and fraud investigations

For example, had duty-of-disclosure clauses been in place, Gloucestershire councils could have forced this worker to choose between roles—and flagged the abuse long before it escalated.

🛠️ Get a Professionally Written Contract Template

If your current employment contracts don’t include clauses like this—or you’d like a robust and compliant template—I’ve already done the heavy lifting for you.

👉 Download the full UK employment contract template here – it’s fully editable and comes with this clause and more, ready to safeguard your organisation.

🔍 Summary