UK 
United States
The cost-of-living has left less in employees’ pockets and for many there is no choice but to supplement insufficient income with additional jobs and ‘side hustles’ to make ends meet, but is it legal and does it leave staff exhausted and unable to do the day job?
The situation
Analysis by finder.com shows that a significant 43% of Brits are supplementing their main source of income with external work. It’s the mainstay of what we term the Gig economy, and its ripple effect is being felt not only amongst those on lower wages but also middle-income earners.
The ‘bit on the side’ can come in many shapes and sizes from fairly minor ‘fillers’ such as dog walking, baby sitting, doing a shift in a restaurant or bar, but for others it is becoming less ‘secondary’ and more ‘primary’ including growing E-bay businesses, having a fixed second job - either in terms of shift work or freelance positions. According to finder.com the average income from side hustles is £207 a week or £900 per month. It’s a gender issue too with around half of men (49%) making money from a secondary job, compared to 37% of women.
There is no law stopping employees working second jobs, however sometimes an employee may have an exclusivity clause in their contract. These clauses can stop employees taking on second jobs and can help ensure there is no conflict of interest or risk to the business
