A recent survey conducted by Express Employment Professionals and The Harris Poll unveils a fascinating trend in the Canadian workforce: the rise of the side hustle during company time. The data reveals that a significant 29% of Canadian job seekers admit to juggling a second job while on the clock. While employers are understandably concerned about the potential impact on productivity and focus, the survey also highlights a surprising fact: half of Canadian companies have no policies in place to prohibit such activities.
The survey delves deeper into the motivations behind this trend, revealing that a majority of Canadian job seekers (87%) have worked a side gig at some point in their careers. Of those who currently engage in side hustles during work hours, 10% dedicate full-time efforts to it, while 19% participate part-time. Furthermore, the survey suggests that this trend might become even more prominent, with 38% of job seekers indicating they would work a side hustle during company time if they believed they could get away with it.
There’s a clear generational divide when it comes to this trend. Gen Z (41%) and millennials (47%) are significantly more likely to engage in side hustles during work hours compared to their Gen X (25%) and boomer (28%) counterparts. This generational gap extends to attitudes about the practice as well. A majority of job seekers (52%) believe employees should be allowed to pursue side gigs during work hours if it doesn’t negatively impact their primary job performance. However, this belief is again more prominent among younger generations, with Gen Z (47%) and millennials (53%) more likely to agree than Gen X (39%) and boomers (41%).
The survey also explores the reasons behind this growing trend of side hustles during work hours. The most common motivations cited include the desire to earn extra money to increase savings (59%) and cover expenses (51%). Other reasons include learning new skills (36%) that can be applied to their primary job, easing the transition out of their current job (17%), improving existing skills (14%), and exploring new industries (10%).
While side hustles can provide additional income and opportunities for growth, they also come with potential downsides. Almost a third of job seekers report experiencing increased burnout (29%), less free time (28%), and difficulties managing their time between their side gig and other responsibilities (25%). A smaller percentage also face challenges related to self-employment, such as fear of failure (17%), having to invest personal funds (14%), needing to learn new skills (13%), paying self-employment taxes (12%), and lacking the benefits offered by a company (12%).
From the employer’s perspective, the survey reveals that half of Canadian companies (51%) have discovered their employees working side hustles during company time. This has raised concerns about reduced productivity (55%), decreased focus and attention to detail (47%), and lower employee engagement (38%). Despite these concerns, a significant proportion of companies (49%) do not have any policies in place to prohibit employees from working side hustles during company time. This lack of clear policies, coupled with the fact that 50% of job seekers are unaware of their company’s stance on side gigs, underscores the need for greater transparency and communication in the workplace.
Most companies that do take action against employees working side hustles during company time opt for less severe measures, such as requesting the employee to limit their side hustle to outside work hours (32%), issuing a verbal warning (30%), or asking them to quit their side gig altogether (15%). Only a small percentage resort to more drastic actions like termination (11%), salary reduction (5%), or demotion (4%).
In light of the growing acceptance of side hustles during company time, job seekers generally favor a lenient approach toward employees engaged in such activities. Over half of job seekers (52%) believe that companies should simply request employees to limit their side hustles to outside work hours. Only a small proportion support stricter measures like termination (10%), salary reduction (8%), or demotion (7%).
This trend highlights the need for both employers and employees to engage in open and honest dialogue regarding side hustles. As Bill Stoller, CEO of Express Employment International, emphasizes, “While it’s clear side hustles reflect ambition, drive and sometimes, necessity, they often come at the expense of focus during company hours. The data shows that many organizations haven’t yet developed the framework to support employees balancing multiple commitments. This growing challenge requires a proactive approach to ensure both company and personal goals can thrive without compromise.”
