34% Of Workers Have Looked For Second Jobs
With the cost of living crisis increasing in intensity, a new report from Qualtrics has found that 34% of workers have looked for second jobs in order to boost their income.
In their survey, Qualtrics also found that:-
- 35% of workers had looked for a higher paid job. Moreover, the number of people looking to change job remains above the pre-pandemic level
- 77% of workers state that making ends meet is more difficult than it was compared with last year
- Whilst 34% of workers have already looked for second jobs, a further 15% are also planning to do as well, meaning that 49% of workers either have already or are planning on looking for second jobs
- 77% of workers have sought overtime / additional shifts
- 15% of working parents and 9% of those without children have looked to move to an area where the cost of living is cheaper
Commenting upon the findings on second jobs, Sarah Marrs, a director (EX Product Science) from Qualtrics, stated: "It’s no surprise that financial concerns are top of mind for the vast majority of employees. It’s therefore critical for business leaders to make sure they understand the role they can play in helping to alleviate some of these concerns. This will demonstrate they are mindful of their people’s well-being, building loyalty amidst continuing retention challenges."
One thing workers looking for second jobs need to be mindful of is that they do not end up breaching restrictive covenants, non-compete clauses, or confidentiality clauses contained within the contract of employment relating to their existing job. Contracts of employment often forbid employees from working in competition with their employer whilst working for them, or in a sitiation where confidential information could be leaked. An existing employer may also have performance and / or health & safety concerns about employees taking on second jobs, where they feel that the employee may end up becoming too tired and exhausted to carry out their job for them.
Nevertheless, one of the benefits for existing employers of employees taking second jobs, as opposed to leaving altogether to take up a higher paid role, is that it aids staff retention.
On the staff rentention point, the managing director of Lodge Court, Ian Moore, states: "We’re going through a cost of living crisis and, by allowing your staff to take on a second job, you're enabling them to increase their income at a time when you can't pay them more. This can be beneficial for both parties – the employee gets a much-needed financial boost, and you get to keep a good employee who might otherwise have had to leave."
Sharp Fall In Commuting As A Result Of Remote Working
A new report from RemoteWorker has found that the number of commutes by UK workers has fallen by 12 billion over the last year, thereby providing workers with 8 billion hours of additional free time overall.
The survey also found that:-
- 20 million UK workers now engage in some form of home, remote, or hybrid working, with 96% stating that it was one of the principal benefits of their job
- Given that the average commute used to be 40 minutes, some of the time saved is added to the working day, which means that there are productivity gains for the employer, making the situation a win win for both employer and employee
The CEO at RemoteWorker, Joe Boll, stated in relation to the findings that: "We believe every employee should have the choice to work independently from an office or workplace if possible. Therefore, we use the most cutting-edge tech to make it easy for anyone to find a new remote working role."
Boll adds that: “This new data shows how hybrid and remote working not only benefits employees and employers with additional free time and extending the working day, but it has also had a huge impact on the environment with billions of unnecessary journeys avoided each year as millions have become location-independent."
