Majority of Remote Employees are Working Multiple Jobs

Posted by: Karen Booher on February 15th, 2023

One of the big changes the pandemic has had on how many businesses operate was the shift to a hybrid and remote work policy. With practically no notice, the pandemic forced non-essential companies to quickly switch gears and have their employees work from home. Almost 3 years later, there are more employees working remotely than ever before.

Many of these remote workers are now working more than one job. With record inflation, many are looking for and capitalizing on ways to make more money.

A recent survey by ResumeBuilder found that almost 8 in 10 (79%) of remote workers had worked two or more remote jobs simultaneously to earn an extra income within the past year. Whether it be dog-walking, Uber driving, or working a second remote job – not having a daily commute to and from work, and the ability to work a more flexible schedule, has created an increase in workers being able to have more than just one full-time job.

A Look at Different Generations in the Workforce

A January 2023 American Staffing Association (“ASA”) webinar confirmed the high percentage of people who have “side hustle jobs” – broken out by different generations in the workforce.

In their survey, ASA found that nearly 6 in 10 U.S. adults (58%) are very or somewhat likely to get a second job or “side hustle”, with younger workers being the most likely to do so. These statistics are a bit lower than mentioned above most likely because ASA’s survey was not limited only to remote workers:

• 72% of Gen Z (age 18-25) had a “side hustle” job
• 67% of Millennials (age 26-41)
• 55% of Gen X (age 42-57)
• 30% of Baby Boomers (age 58-76)

Employers: Be Supportive and Understanding – and Be Watchful

Many employers support and understand their workers’ need and desire to bring in extra money. And – whether they like it or not – there’s not much that employers can do to prevent an employee from taking a side job.

While most workers certainly respect the time parameters and commitment allotted to each job, there is the risk that some are secretly double-dipping and working more than one job simultaneously. This wasn’t feasible when workers needed to report to a brick-and-mortar office every day, but having two different work computers set up at a home office isn’t outside the realm of possibilities anymore.

Bottom line… employers need to trust their staff but also understand the need to have an increased awareness and way to measure accountability for their remote workforce.

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Sources:

1. Staffing Industry Analysts, SIA Daily News, February 6, 2023. “79% of remote employees worked more than two jobs in past year: ResumeBuilder”.
2. American Staffing Association Workforce Monitor, an online survey conducted by The Harris Poll from Oct. 27-31, 2022 among 2,019 U.S adults age 18 and older.