Like many side hustle origin stories, mine began during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns. Everyone seemed to be taking a stab at monetizing their skills. And I jumped on the bandwagon, leveraging my appetite for writing to take on freelancing gigs alongside my nine-to-five.
Though I did my side projects on weekends, I was afraid that they might shoulder the blame for any slip in productivity at my day job. Needless to say, I was anxious before telling my boss. What if I couldn’t do both?
Today, however, with 28 per cent of Canadians taking on extra gigs to cope with economic pressures – a 13-per-cent bump from 2022, according to a survey from H&R Block – keeping it under wraps no longer seems necessary.
Some employers see the gigs “as a necessary evil,” says Nita Chhinzer, associate professor in human-resource management and business consulting at the University of Guelph. “It often alleviates the company from the need to fulfill all the employee’s financial goals or psychological goals.”
“There’s an affordability crisis in Canada and the reality is that employers have failings in how much they’re paying employees or whether they’re fulfilling all their career development needs,” says Prof. Chhinzer. In fact, a Royal Bank of Canada poll found that 84 per cent of Canadian Gen Z small-business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs are driven to start side hustles owing to rising costs of living.
Low unemployment rates combined with soaring prices mean employers must be more flexible to retain talent. “They know they may not have another body to put in that seat,” says Prof. Chhinzer. “So they might say, ‘It’s fine, I understand you’re going to do this side job.’”
But there also can be benefits to employers. “Studies show that multiple job holdings can actually increase job performance, professional development, and work-life balance if those jobs are distinct,” says Prof. Chhinzer, citing skill advancement and psychological fulfilment.
Alina Kahil was working at RBC when she began to monetize her clothing and lifestyle brand, giving her a leg up both professionally and financially. “I wanted to generate income that was 20 to 30 per cent of my salary that I could use to save – I live in Toronto, rents are ridiculous,” says Ms. Kahil, whose employer was “accepting and supportive.”
She later used her experience to apply for a role at Ownr, an RBC ventures company specializing in business formation.
Wealthsimple also gave the green light to employee Madi Fuller. “My company has been really supportive – as long as you finish your work and aren’t burnt out,” says the 27-year-old talent recruitment lead, who teaches at Niagara College during off hours.
Ms. Fuller and Ms. Kahil are among 49 per cent of Canadians who felt comfortable disclosing side jobs to employers, according to the survey from H&R Block. The report defined gig work as anything from driving Uber to freelancing to selling your own products.
The broad definition makes gig trends difficult to measure, said Brendon Bernard, senior economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, in an e-mail. “Some filling out the survey might not consider their secondary activity a ‘job,’ while others might be involved intermittently.”
For people like Ms. Fuller, juggling multiple jobs is second nature. When she was a student working part time on campus, she started a business reviewing résumés. “Everything for rent, groceries etc. came from side jobs on campus, or my co-op,” she says.
Three months into starting her full-time job at Wealthsimple, Ms. Fuller took on the teaching role and didn’t hesitate to tell her manager. “At the end of the day, I might have to leave work early, or maybe I’ll be overwhelmed during midterm season,” she explains.
For management, the concerns are straightforward. “The first consideration is the scale and scope of the side job,” says Evan Livermore, managing director of the Creative Guild, an Ontario-based marketing agency. “Will you be available during core hours? Will you contribute a net amount of hours to your work?”
To mitigate these risks, companies such as FreshBooks have formalized processes in place for disclosure. “We have a letter they complete where they say, ‘Hey, I have this side hustle or project I’m working on,’” says Susan Klunder, director of HR at the software company.
But employment lawyers like Howard Levitt still see their share of legal battles over undisclosed second jobs, though mostly in manufacturing, industrial corporations and banks. “Companies have contracts in place and they say you have to provide full-time service,” says Mr. Levitt, adding that even if you’re doing the work after hours, things can overlap and drain productivity.
Despite experiencing burnout in the past, Ms. Fuller doesn’t regret juggling multiple jobs. “It helped me with student debt – I also had some credit-card debt and the job helped pay that off without me dipping into what I’m making in my nine-to-five.”
Rob Straby, career development professor at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont., recommends laying it out for employers. “Show them, here’s the benefit, here’s the time commitment,” says Prof. Straby. In other words, convince them that you’ll be more valuable with your side hustle. And instead of hiding extra work, use platforms such as Glassdoor to learn which employers are open to it in advance – many are.
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