More people should have second jobs

Long gone are the days when you had a job for life. But, for young folks especially, it seems we don’t just do one job in a week.

The strivers are scrambling for second jobs. Though it is hard to ascertain exact numbers through official statistics, some surveys suggest more than two-thirds of British Gen Zs are now supplementing their income with side hustles. 

Some of this is out of necessity, thanks to stagnant wages and rising living costs. But it is also being driven by attitude changes, and a desire to choose more purpose and freedom in the working week. Twenty- and thirty-somethings want to be Generation DIY, helping to drive a significant increase in self-employment over the past few decades because of the greater control and flexibility they gain despite the higher uncertainty and risk. 

The benefits from side gigs are clear. They increase your income. You can do more fulfilling work in your week that may not pay so well. For those who get stuck in their careers, usually in midlife, completely quitting and retraining is just unrealistic with financial and familial commitments. A second job, that sits alongside your main anchor employment, can be a more prudent way to transition. 

Employers might well frown, worrying staff attention will be directed elsewhere. But they might see a productivity boost, if their staff are more satisfied and building new skills and relationships. If you want something done, Benjamin Franklin quipped, ask a busy person. 

Portfolio-working is the aspiration of the successful and powerful, sitting on different boards and moonlighting as consultants. Think George Osborne. This style of working needs to be democratised. 

Big shifts in the way we work are helping. Especially since the pandemic, home working and virtual meetings have become common, reducing travelling time. The acceleration of generative AI over the past year is quickening everyday tasks – administration, research, learning and writing – for many workers. Ultimately, these trends are giving us more time, which we can choose to fill with enriching and enjoyable secondary employment.

There will be fears about over-working, of ignoring the Working Time Directive that caps total working hours to 48 hours per week. But people can opt out of this. If people want to spend more of their time working, let them. With side hustles, they’ll often be pursuing work for pleasure, realising the Victorian social reformer John Ruskin’s ideal of more of the working-class finding happiness through meaningful and quality work.

So the barriers to people pursuing second jobs need dismantling. Employers need to overcome their scepticism – seeing success stories, even having partnerships with other firms to exchange employees on certain days. If they are still digging in, the government should ban exclusivity clauses in all employment contracts, which stops employees working for other employers, not just for those in zero-hours contracts or those earnings below the lower earnings limit. 

A side gig could well be the most sensible way to improve your prospects. They shouldn’t just be for MPs.