LWOP with One Company While Working a Cleared Job at Another

Technically, you can work for two GovCon companies at once, but there are some big “ifs” involved. There is nothing in federal law disallowing a contractor working more than one federal contract at a time, but you will want to abide by company policy, especially doing this in the cleared space.

One ClearanceJobsBlog subscriber writes:

So, I have a bit of a unique situation. Last year my contracting company put me on a project where I was granted a secret clearance. When my contract ended, I went to the bench. After a few months on the bench, I voluntarily went on personal leave without pay for a couple months, with the intent of coming back to work on my return. On my return, my company didn’t want to pay me on the bench again without a billable project to return to (understandably so).

At that time, they extended my LWOP to try to find me a project, even though I didn’t request it. I suppose the alternative was termination (which I was willing to accept, to be honest). Unfortunately, the project search was unfruitful, so I started looking elsewhere and found a job at a new contracting company.

Now I’m happily employed at this new company, and I’ll be using my active secret clearance for one of their contracts. Meanwhile, as of yesterday my previous company has extended my LWOP for another 6 months.

I have a few questions regarding this

• It is my understanding that working two jobs while having a clearance is generally a no-no, but I feel I’m essentially not employed by my previous company right now, so is my secret clearance at risk? Will this be viewed unfavorably if I needed a higher-level clearance in the future?
• Am I obliged to tell my previous company that I have a new job now? Should I just “quit” my LWOP?
• Are they allowed to extend my LWOP without my request?
• What do you suppose would happen if I just waited for the LWOP extension?

I have no hard feelings towards anyone and no real expectations out of this scenario; I just want to make sure I’m not making any grave mistakes here and try to take advantage of anything that could be availed to me from my previous company.

This isn’t the first time a security clearance holder has asked about working for two defense contractors at once—but there are restrictions and potential clearance implications depending on the work involved. Mainly, you want to be honest and forthright with both companies. I believe that still applies here – tell the company who has you on LWOP that you found another job, but if you like them, you’re willing to come onboard if they eventually find a billet for you.

Is the secret clearance “at risk” in this scenario? Not necessarily.

Here’s the skinny on working two gigs at once:

When It Might Be Allowed

• Separate contracts, separate customers: If each job is for a different agency or project and doesn’t create a conflict of interest, it could be permitted.
• Part-time/consulting roles: Some cleared professionals work full-time for one contractor and consult on the side—but with explicit approval from both employers.
• No overlap in access: If only one job requires cleared access and the other doesn’t, this is easier to manage.

When It Becomes a Problem

• Same agency, competing contracts: Working for two contractors supporting the same agency or program is almost always a conflict of interest.
• Dual access to classified systems: You can’t hold multiple accesses at once unless you’re cross-sponsored and approved.
• Loyalty and ethics: You’re expected to avoid situations where you’d have divided loyalty, insider info, or could compromise proprietary information.

What You Should Do

• Check both employers’ policies: Many contractors explicitly forbid dual employment, especially in cleared roles.
• Be honest: Hiding a second job from a Facility Security Officer (FSO) or not listing it on your SF-86 or self-reporting can raise red flags.
• Ask about conflicts: Especially if either position involves program management, procurement, or anything sensitive.